LEXINGTON, KY—Officials from KDC, a Dallas-based commercial real estate firm, say they want to develop a new business center at the University of Kentucky's Coldstream Research Campus, a former horse farm that has filled up with dozens of companies and laboratories. KDC is under sub-contract with Sperry Van Ness Real Estate Advisors – Lexington, and plans to begin construction once they get signed leases for 50% of the project's first phase, a three-story, 100,000-square-foot office center.
KDC also says that an increase in the number of projects has just prompted the hiring of another five senior-level executives.
When finished, the 38-acre KDC Corporate Center should have 250,000-square-feet of developed space. All buildings at Coldstream, which also provides hundreds of acres of open, green space, including a running and bicycling trail, have to meet certain aesthetic and environmental standards. KDC says phase 1 will have an efficient, sustainable design and receive a LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
“The proposed building will set the standard for regional and national corporate office facilities in Kentucky,” says KDC's Jeff Stidham. “Its innovative design results in operational savings and provides a healthy work environment that increases employee productivity.”
Phase 1 will feature a floor design that accommodates more employees per-square-foot, and, due to large floor plates with under-floor air distribution, provide work stations with individual HVAC controls. The under-floor system will save approximately 30% in energy costs and improves air quality, officials say.
The 735-acre campus, located at the intersection of I-64 and I-75, sits near both the University of Kentucky and downtown Lexington. It now houses more than 62 companies and 1,360 people that work in biotech, pharmaceutical, equine health and service industries.
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Brian J. Rogal
Brian J. Rogal is a Chicago-based freelance writer with years of experience as an investigative reporter and editor, most notably at The Chicago Reporter, where he concentrated on housing issues. He also has written extensively on alternative energy and the payments card industry for national trade publications.
