Top Officials Herald New Campus for National Cancer Institute

Governor O'Malley to Lead Dignitaries at Shady Grove Groundbreaking

ROCKVILLE, Md., Aug. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A $200 million satellite campus for the National Cancer Institute will get its official start in Rockville September 1, with elected leaders saluting the initiative and the collaboration that forged it.

Governor Martin O'Malley will lead a list of dignitaries including U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin, Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett and other elected leaders. Officials from Johns Hopkins University, the National Cancer Institute, the U.S. General Services Administration and The JBG Companies, the facility's developer, will join the officials to mark the start of construction of a new home for 2,100 of NCI's employees. The complex, which will take two years to complete, is located at the Shady Grove Life Sciences Center.

"This new facility represents a collective investment in the talents, skills, creativity, and education of our people," O'Malley said. "In these tough times, it will create much needed jobs for our families during construction, and its sustainable design will help our environment. When it is complete, the vital research and innovation that will happen here will improve our health and biosciences sectors and help us to secure a better, stronger and healthier future for generations to come."

"This new campus of the National Cancer Institute is a tremendous partnership opportunity that will be a magnet for investments and job creation in our local community, our state and the region," Cardin said. "Maryland is a national leader in healthcare and biotech development and this new Montgomery County facility will keep us on the leading edge for years to come."

O'Malley and Cardin will also be joined at the ceremonies by Rep. Chris Van Hollen, Rep. Donna Edwards, Montgomery County Council President Nancy Floreen and other local leaders.

"At the heart of the Life Sciences Center is a community," said Leggett. "In our view it is a blend of healthcare, biotech and IT interests that signal a vital future business destination, one that will employ thousands of excellent minds and imaginations. We are determined, however, that it grows carefully into a model environmental community that will be a desirable place to live."  

Leggett said that creating such an important building block in the evolving Great Seneca Science Corridor is testament to the cooperative efforts of the National Cancer Institute, Johns Hopkins University, the U.S. General Services Administration and The JBG Companies.

"This is a blue-chip alliance that we are extremely proud to be a part of," said Rod Lawrence, managing principal for The JBG Companies. "We pledge to develop a cutting edge, technologically advanced facility that will enhance NCI's mission and foster a special collaboration of professional, academic and private interests focused on curing cancer."

Lawrence said that JBG was selected to develop the complex as twin, seven-story buildings with a parking garage and shops on nine acres overlooking a large pond. He said JBG will register with the U.S. Green Building Council, and will pursue LEED Gold certification. A transit stop on the future Corridor Cities Transitway will connect to the Shady Grove Metro station, which will be critical to the success of this transit-oriented project. The facility, which is scheduled to be delivered in early 2013, was designed by Washington architect HOK. Rockville's James G. Davis Construction Corporation is the general contractor.  

NCI's new satellite site will be located on Johns Hopkins' Montgomery County Campus, which is home to more than 4,000 students, 450 full and part-time faculty members and 16 biotech companies and research centers. As a vital part of the Life Sciences Center, JHU's goal is to advance education, science, applied research and healthcare.

"We continue to champion improved healthcare and biosciences here and everywhere Johns Hopkins University has a presence," said Ronald Daniels, President of Johns Hopkins University. "Our vision is to provide the right environments for scientists, educators, students, caregivers and entrepreneurs to work and live. We welcome NCI to our campus and look forward to a long and productive relationship with its leaders and staff."

Most of the NCI staff members who will work at the Life Sciences Center are presently located in other commercial buildings that do not afford space for future expansion. NCI is headquartered on the Bethesda campus of the National Institutes of Health, and also has operations in Frederick, Md., and several other smaller satellite facilities in Montgomery County.

JBG signed a long-term ground lease with Johns Hopkins, which owns the land, to build the 575,000 square foot facility.

About The National Cancer Institute

The National Cancer Institute is part of the National Institutes of Health, which is one of 11 agencies that compose the Department of Health and Human Services. NCI is the federal government's principal agency for cancer research and training. NCI coordinates the National Cancer Program, which conducts and supports research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs with respect to the cause, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of cancer, rehabilitation from cancer, and the continuing care of cancer patients and the families of cancer patients. Media contact: NCI Office of Media Relations, 301.496.6641, [email protected]

About the U.S. General Services Administration

GSA was established by President Harry Truman in 1949 to streamline the administrative work of the federal government. GSA consolidated multiple agencies into one federal agency tasked with administering supplies and providing workplaces for federal employees. GSA oversees the business of the U.S. federal government. GSA's acquisition solutions supplies federal purchasers with cost-effective high-quality products and services from commercial vendors. GSA provides workplaces for federal employees, and oversees the preservation of historic federal properties. Its policies covering travel, property and management practices promote efficient government operations. Media contact: Nancy Wilochka, 202.205.5280, [email protected]

About Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins University was started in 1876 to foster "the encouragement of research and the advancement of individual scholars, who by their excellence will advance the sciences they pursue and the society where they dwell." More than 130 years later, Johns Hopkins remains a world leader in both teaching and research. Johns Hopkins maintains a network of continuing education facilities throughout the Baltimore-Washington region, including centers in downtown Baltimore, in downtown Washington, and in Montgomery County. When considered in partnership with its sister institution, the Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System, the university is Maryland's largest employer and contributes more than $10 billion a year to the state's economy. Media contact: Tracey Reeves, 443.287.9900, [email protected]

About The JBG Companies

Headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland, The JBG Companies is an active developer, owner and operator of office, residential, hotel and retail properties with more than $10 billion in assets under management and development. Founded in 1960, JBG has established a reputation as one of the leading real estate companies in the Washington metropolitan area.  More information can be found by visiting the company's Web site: www.JBG.com, or by calling 240.333.3600.

About HOK

HOK is a global architectural firm that specializes in planning, design and delivery solutions for buildings and communities. Through its collaborative network of 23 offices worldwide, the firm serves diverse clients within the corporate, commercial, public and institutional markets. HOK is committed to developing resources and expertise to help lead the world toward sustainable communities and building environments. Founded in 1955, the firm's expertise includes architecture, engineering, interiors, planning, sustainable consulting, lighting, graphics, facilities planning and assessment, and construction services. For more information, contact Amber Majid, 202.944.1410, [email protected].

About James G. Davis Construction Corporation

Founded in 1966, James G. Davis Construction Corporation serves as a general contractor, construction manager, and design-build partner for base buildings, renovations, sustainable and interior construction in the Washington D.C. area. Consistently ranked as an industry leader both nationally and locally, DAVIS was most recently recognized by the Washington Business Journal as one of the area's "Best Places to Work" for the fourth year. Media contact: Louise Boulton-Lear, 301.255.2169, [email protected].

SOURCE The JBG Companies