DPR Construction to open 100,000-square-foot R&D facility

Durham, NC, (January 22, 2021) – DPR Construction, one of the nation’s top contractors and industry leader in virtual design and construction and prefabrication, will expand its Raleigh-Durham operations with a 100,000-square-foot regional headquarters at The Keith Corporation’s 104-acre Genesis site in Research Triangle Park (RTP).

DPR Construction’s new facility, which is expected to be completed in December 2021 and become fully operational in 2022, will include a large-scale prefabrication research and development facility. This “living laboratory” will serve as a center of excellence to further develop and promote prefabrication and virtual design in the architecture, engineering and construction industries, expanding DPR’s capabilities and client service throughout the region. “With this new facility, DPR will be able to enhance safety, quality and speed, while helping to decrease the cost of building solutions for our customers,” said Nick Ertmer, DPR’s Southeast Regional Leader. The firm currently has over 300 employees in the Triangle area, producing $300 million in revenue in 2020, with a Statewide total of over 500 employees and $450 million in revenue.

In the buildout of this new space, DPR will showcase its capabilities on concrete, drywall, electrical, as well as prefabricated wall and floor systems and volumetric prefabricated restroom pods. In alignment with DPR’s sustainability goals, the project aims to achieve Net-Zero Energy, WELL Silver and LEED Certification, similar to other new DPR offices across the country.

“Coupling our prefabrication expertise with our self-perform contracting capabilities, this project will continue to strengthen DPR’s position as an industry trailblazer,” said Shawn Pepple, DPR’s Raleigh-Durham Business Unit Leader. “With several world-class research universities within miles of our site and dozens of life science powerhouses such as Biogen, United Therapeutics, Alexandria Real Estate Equities located nearby, this new facility places DPR on the frontline of innovation in life science, one of our core markets and areas of expertise.”

DPR’s 100,000-square-foot regional office will be the first project in the Genesis development at the northwest quadrant of the Durham Freeway and East Cornwallis Road within the RTP. With unique Scientific Research Park zoning, Genesis offers flexibility to accommodate a wide range of facility types geared toward technology, pharmaceutical, and life science-focused users. Build-to-suit opportunities range from single-story advanced research manufacturing facilities to six-story (120’ height limit) office lab space.

“Genesis provides the ideal location for DPR’s new research and office facility, and we look forward to collaborating with them to deliver the first phase of this life science hub within a globally recognized research park,” said The Keith Corporation’s Bill Baker. “Genesis offers much-needed build-to-suit opportunities for the Triangle’s numerous life science and flex R&D office users, and we’re confident in its ability to attract national centers of excellence across industries to the Raleigh-Durham area.” The Keith Corporation has pre-emptively graded an additional three sites for future users. With civil design/development approvals and site work complete, The Keith Corporation can readily deliver buildings at Genesis within 10 months of lease execution.

“The Keith Corporation is an early adopter of the extraordinary investment that is occurring in RTP. In 2020 alone and amidst the pandemic, over $3.5 billion of new investments were announced bringing over 2,000 new jobs to the Park. DPR’s regional headquarters and building construction research facility expand the breadth of R&D activity in our region,” stated Scott Levitan, President and CEO of The Research Triangle Foundation. Centrally located between downtown Raleigh, downtown Durham and Chapel Hill, and less than eight miles from the Raleigh-Durham International Airport, RTP offers convenience and access to a skilled labor pool and highly reputable academic institutions.

Of the 700+ life sciences companies located in North Carolina, nearly 600 are located in Raleigh-Durham. The market’s reputation has created an unparalleled cluster of innovation. According to JLL’s 2020 Life Sciences Real Estate Outlook, Raleigh-Durham ranks fifth among the top-ranked clusters of U.S. life sciences ecosystems, positioned among the top contenders for venture capital investment. As speed to market accelerates for many pharmaceuticals, proximity to incubators at major research institutions has supported the growth of Raleigh-Durham’s life sciences cluster.

JLL is handling the leasing at Genesis. For more information on development opportunities at Genesis, please visit www.genesisrtp.com.