Phoenix-based Opus West is marking its third build-to-suit in the Southwest for a federal agency. Jeff Roberts, Opus' vice president of real estate development, tells GlobeSt.com that the build-to-suit agreement came with a 15-year lease with $10-million over the term. The VA facility is one of several under development around the country for the department's outpatient pharmacy program.
In May, Opus West purchased 4.5 acres in the Tucson International Gateway business park near the intersection of East Valencia Road and South Alvernon Way in South Tucson from Reywest Development Corp. of Phoenix for $445,000 in an all-cash transaction. Opus West had an agreement with Reywest to purchase the parcel once a build-to-suit tenant was found. Peter Douglas of Tucson-based Picor Commercial represented Reywest in the land sale.
Roberts eyes a December completion for the facility, which will include about 20,000 sf of office space. The building's design has a 24-foot clear height to handle the VA's highly mechanized processing of mail-order prescriptions.
The facility, expected to generate 100 jobs, will replace an older, smaller operation in Los Angeles, increasing processing capacity from four million prescriptions annually to 15 million. Up to 15 L.A. employees will relocate to Phoenix. Opus West Construction Corp. is the general contractor, with project design being handled by Opus Architects & Engineers.
Opus West previously built two other federal facilities in Albuquerque: a 160,000-sf Department of Interior building and a 146,000-sf Bureau of Indian Affairs structure.
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