GSK has signed a 15.5-year lease for the new building located at Five Crescent Drive in the Navy Yard Corporate Center. The 205,000 square feet ‘green’ facility will be designed to achieve LEED – Platinum certification, and represents an $81 million investment by Liberty.
The environmentally-friendly and efficient work space will feature an ‘open plan’ design, which is consistent with other GSK facilities. The design and layout of the building will help in bringing employees together to promote better communication and idea sharing. An assortment of work spaces will be featured, including shared work stations, team tables, meeting areas, social areas and quiet rooms. The facility will also offer a wide variety of amenities, such as a fitness centre, restaurant, retail services, and free parking for employees and visitors. The Navy Yard Corporate Center provides park space with walking paths, fields for sports leagues and a putting green.
Site work is scheduled to begin as early as the end of February, with construction of the building commencing in mid-2011. All employees of GSK, currently based at the One and Three Franklin Plaza buildings in Center City Philadelphia, will be shifted to the new building between fourth quarter 2012 and first quarter 2013, immediately following completion.
The building at Five Crescent Drive represents a collaborative effort between the landlord, Liberty/Synterra, Robert A.M. Stern Architects (RAMSA) and GSK. For Liberty and RAMSA, this represents their fourth project and most recent since the completion of Comcast Center, the US’ tallest green building. Stern’s design overview of the project highlighted the use of natural materials sourced locally, whenever possible, to be used in construction of the sustainable facility.
In 2004, Liberty Property Trust and the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation led a team that authored the plan for the redevelopment of the Philadelphia Navy Yard. During the last six years, Liberty has developed five LEED certified buildings in the park, including the LEED Platinum certified One Crescent Drive.
