Allergan Files Plans For Irvine Expansion

Allergan Inc., maker of Botox and other drugs, has filed plans with Irvine officials to build a 250,000-square-foot. four-story office tower at its campus near John Wayne Airport.

Allergan spokeswoman Caroline Van Hove confirmed last week that the drug maker's board approved investing up to $95 million toward the construction of an office building nearly two years ago.

Van Hove declined to give any further details.

Allergan, which has annual sales of about $4 billion and a recent market value of $14 billion, said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing last year that it expected "to incur design-related costs for this office building in 2008, followed by major construction activities beginning in 2009"

A letter sent to the Irvine planning department by David Converse, Allergan's development consultant, said the drug maker wants to "remove existing buildings" and add the new building, which it calls Tower III, on land at 18522 Von Karman Ave.