Now, however, it's not enough. Company officials are looking tomore than double the size of the 10-building campus, and recentlyfloated a trial balloon before the community's zoning and planningboard on the project. Under current zoning, Pharmacia can buildanother 430,000 sf of space, but company officials are looking atas much as 650,000 sf.

Another option--leasing additional space nearby--is currentlyunworkable. As company spokesman Paul Fitzhenry recently told localreporters, "We've already leased all of the available space in theimmediate vicinity."

Indeed, despite several major office projects being done by thelikes of Hines, Gale & Wentworth and the Advance Group, thevacancy rate in the I-78/287 submarket, encompassing Bridgewater,Bedminster and several other communities in central SomersetCounty, is about 5%, compared to 18% just a few years ago. Class Aasking rents have climbed to a pricey $32-35 per sf.