Skanska Tops Out Research Superstructure in Orlando

By Robert Demeter

Rendering of FAMRC

Orlando—Skanska has announced the topping out of the Florida Advanced Manufacturing Research Center superstructure in Osceola County, near Kissimmee, Fla. Set to become a major economic driver in the state, FAMRC is the first facility in Florida with the capability of providing a high-tech manufacturing platform.

Skanska executed the final guaranteed maximum price amendment of $25 million to bring the total contract value to $71.4 million for the design and construction of FAMRC.

The FAMRC development sits on 20 acres near the intersection of US 192 and Florida’s Turnpike. The facility will feature a 109,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art research and development lab facility that will provide semiconductor research and manufacturing. The project will also include build-out of clean rooms, research space, laboratories and support space. The infrastructure to support these spaces is being designed and coordinated to meet the initial and future requirements for additional build-out phases of the research and manufacturing center.

The project is designed to draw companies focused on developing advanced manufacturing products, which is considered a high-wage sector. This will ultimately enable the creation of new devices and systems that will transform fields such as healthcare, transportation, agriculture and consumer products.

“This project is set to create a new hub for manufacturing and research that will generate thousands of jobs, while positioning Osceola County as a leader in innovation and research,” Matt Gilbert, senior vice president at Skanska USA Building in Orlando, said in prepared remarks. “As a company that sets out to build transformational projects that drive economic growth in the region, this high-tech facility will deliver devices and systems that will enhance people’s lives and their communities for years to come.”

Design and construction of FAMRC began in March 2015, and is expected to be completed in March 2017. Leading the project’s design is architect HOK and Abbie Gregg Inc. The center’s development is led by the Osceola County Board of Commissioners and includes a partnership with the University of Central Florida and the International Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing.

IMEC, a leading nanoelectronics research center, has also chosen Osceola County to open IMEC Florida, a new entity focusing on photonics and high-speed electronics Integrated Circuit design.

Image courtesy of Skanska