Buildings come down, interest goes up at former Boeing Space Center in Kent

PCI Democon is busy tearing down seven buildings on part of the former Boeing Space Center in Kent to make way for constructing Stryker Business Center at Pacific Gateway.

Crews have demolished the 21,000-square-foot Building 18-20, where Boeing did sound testing and the 31,500-square-foot building 18-06 that housed a cafeteria. Now under the wrecking ball are 161,000- and 140,000-square-foot office buildings. After those are down, crews will demolish a 160,000-square-foot data center, 140,000-square-foot office building and 9,000-square-foot electrical building.

IDS Real Estate Group is the owner and developer of the new 72-acre business center, and Clarion Partners is the capital partner.

Stryker’s first two buildings – 120,600 and 318,200 square feet – are being developed without signed tenants and construction is expected to start next month.

The smaller building will have 30-foot clear heights; the larger building will have 32-foot clear heights. Both would have sprinklers, dock seals and ample parking.

Les Boudwin, managing director at Jones Lang LaSalle, said interest in the two buildings has been “terrific,” with four or five requests for lease proposals on the smaller building and two on the larger one. he said they are scheduled to be finished Feb. 1, 2014.

A second phase could add up to 893,400 square feet in as many as four buildings. Boudwin said they will start as build-to-suit projects, but could change next year to spec.

Sierra Construction and Craft Architects are leading the project team. Performance Abatement Services, a division of Performance Contracting Group, is in charge of abatement. PCI Democon is also a division of Performance Abatement Services.