Wyeth Consumer Healthcare, a division of pharmaceutical giant Wyeth, has announced its intention to close its facility on Cummings Drive in North Richmond. The site houses offices for several of the division’s business functions.

Most employees will move to Wyeth’s Global Product Development facility on Sherwood Avenue; a small a number may relocate to other facilities in Henrico County. All moves are expected to be completed by early next year.

The Cummings Drive facility, constructed in 1952, has undergone numerous renovations to accommodate manufacturing infrastructure, development laboratories and administrative offices. The complex originally served as the corporate headquarters of the old A.H. Robins company, which was acquired by Wyeth in 1989. Production and lab support operations were discontinued in 2006.

Currently, less than 30 percent of the space is utilized. “Earlier this year, we announced a global initiative to transform our business and strengthen our ability to discover, develop and deliver innovative healthcare products,” said Larry Small, senior vice president of global product development. “As part of this initiative, we continually assess how to operate more efficiently and effectively.”

Savings will be reinvested into research & development and marketing. Wyeth will begin actively marketing the Cummings Drive facility to prospective buyers in the upcoming weeks.