Also, the company will add 100 jobs in the metro areaover the next 12 months as they relocate the information technology and corporate accounting functions from El Paso, TX. During construction of the new headquarters, 100 employees will remain at the current headquarters, while another 100 employees will be located nearby in Gateway Park in Aurora.

"Our new corporate headquarters will allow us to continue to grow ourbusiness and will serve as a symbol of our commitment to the entire Denver metropolitan area," says chairman and chief executive officer K. Dane Brooksher. "We considered cities outside of Colorado, but none of them measured up to the Denver metropolitan area. Year after year, the metro area ranks near the top of the 'most livable cities' in the US, with its world-class airport, spectacular natural beauty, endless opportunities for recreation and expanding cultural facilities. Additionally, the metro area has more high school and college graduates per capita than any other US city."

The new headquarters, projected for completion in November 2005, will be near East 40th Avenue and Airport Way and will total 80,000 sf of office space. The building will be five stories high and will be large enough to accommodate more than 300 people. Located on approximately six acres, the facility will include on-site employee amenities such as a fitness facility, cafeteria and walking paths.

Land for the facility was purchased from Gateway Land, a subsidiary of the Pauls Corp. Phillip McCurdy of Gensler will serve as architect and Geoffrey Post of the Post Group will be the project manager.

"We chose Gateway Park because of its ideal location nearour business operations in both Aurora and Denver," Brooksher says. "The immediate access to Denver International Airport is an additional benefit to support our growing global business."

ProLogis currently has more than 3.6 million sf in Denver and Aurora. In 1992, ProLogis acquired its first facility in Aurora and has since acquired or developed more than 1.5 million sf of distribution facilities for some of the world's largest corporations.

Aurora Mayor Ed Tauer was sanguine about losing ProLogis. "The city of Aurora continues to be the home of ProLogis' largest land holdings in the state," Tauer says. "Additionally, ProLogis Park 70 represents growth for Aurora, as the company leverages its market-leading position to attract large corporations that see the metro area as a key distribution hub."