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HARLEYSVILLE, PA-Following a competitive bid process, Almac Group, a Craigavon, Northern Ireland-based pharmaceutical company, has selected Skanska USA to construct its new North American headquarters on 40 acres of former farmland here, which includes space for future expansion. The initial phase will consist of two buildings aggregating 240,000 sf.

"The final configuration of the buildings hasn't been fully determined yet," says Ed Szwarc, Skanska EVP and general manager of the Stockholm-based company's Philadelphia regional office, which is based in Blue Bell. "One of the buildings will be office, and the other will be a warehouse and R&D facility," he tells GlobeSt.com. The all-in cost is $100 million, including the price of the land.

Groundbreaking is scheduled for second-quarter 2008. The buildings will be constructed almost simultaneously. "There may be a one-month lag between them," Szwarc says. Both are expected to reach completion in first quarter 2010. There is no timeline yet for a second phase, which he says will take place as needed.