GlaxoSmithKline announced last week that it’s moving to a LEED-certified building in the Navy Yard from its current Center City location.
According to the Philly.com story, “GSK says it will sign 15 1/2-year lease for a four-story, 205,000-square-foot facility being developed by Liberty Property Trust and Synterra Partners“.
Glaxo would move all its employees either at One & Three Franklin Plaza Center city locations to south Philly in late 2012/early 2013.
I definitely commend any company who wants to become green and up its efficiency. The eco-friendly design should reduce electric & energy consumption to increase the building’s efficiency 30-60% more efficiently than typical office buildings. (And plus, the Liberty Property blueprints look pretty damn cool.)
However, this is moving a huge company that has a centralized location (with employees that walk, bike & easily take public transit) to a few miles south – with poor public transit options. Many employees will choose to drive during rush hour to the navy yard.
Could Glaxo have made eco-friendly upgrades in it’s center city location? Probably. Unfortunately I don’t have stats of how many employees take public transit, etc vs driving. Maybe the navy yard will get better public transit access in the future.
Readers, what do you think of this change?
Posted by Julie
3 Responses to Glaxo Move – Green or Not (.com)?
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Good for GFK, bad for employees. While i’m certain that it’s an amazingly energy-efficient facility (and willing to bet there are tax breaks involved), the public transportation option for the workers leaves you 3/4 of a mile from the Navy Yard. I’m wondering if part of the deal involves a shuttle from Pattison to the facility? And it may drive up the amount of cars that people use to get to the new location that normally would use regional rail to get to the former CC office.
I understand that plans have been proposed, years ago, for an extension of the subway line and it is actually in the Navy Yard strategic plan. I suspect the shuttle to public transit will also come to be. None of that deals with the left buildings and the required renovation and reuse. Will those building be required to be updated green? One would hope so.