"MedImmune has continued to grow and expand beyond its borders at its current location, which is where we've been since [the company's inception in] 1988," MedImmune's Lori Weiman tells GlobeSt.com. "We need new facilities which can continue to grow with us." Phase I of the company's project entails a campus of structures offering 218,000-sf of space. Those structures include a 68,000-sf research and development facility, a 150,000-sf administrative building, and a substantial parking lot.

Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum are designing the facilities and Hitt Contractors will serve as the general contractor for all but project's interior finish. The remaining two phases of the project have yet to be defined, but the 25-acre parcel on which MedImmune is building allows for a great deal of growth. "The land has the ultimate ability to grow with us and can accommodate up to 750,000-sf," Weiman notes. "This opportunity is part of what we've been planning for, and the remaining phases will be undertaken as need arises." Currently, MedImmune has only 111,000 sf of space in four different buildings out of which to conduct its operations.

It was last year that MedImmune first announced its plans to expand in Montgomery County after considering relocating to other areas. At the time, Governor Parris N. Glendening proclaimed, "MedImmune's decision to expand clearly demonstrates that Maryland has created a nurturing and healthy environment for biotechnology research." Bot state and local officials support the project and are contributing to its financing with a $2.5 million conditional grant from Maryland's Sunny Day Fund, and a $500,000 grant from the county. When the company relocates next year, it will still maintain some use of its current facilities.