HUNTSVILLE, Alabama – Redstone Gateway's newest tenant broke ground this afternoon on a development that will span more than 131,000 square feet in the Rocket City.
DRS Technologies, which has offices in Cummings Research Park, recently signed a 10-year lease for an existing 62,400-square-foot flex building connected to a brand new 69,200-square-foot facility on 7400 Redstone Gateway. The facility will accommodate roughly 200 employees and have an expansion capacity of 50 to 10 additional workers.
For DRS, the move to Redstone Gateway adjacent to Interstate 565 at Redstone Arsenal's Gate 9 was a natural fit.
"We're working several new opportunities that are here on Redstone, so, strategically, it made sense for us to be aligned here," said Tim Smith, vice president and general manager of DRS.
DRS, which has operated in the Huntsville community since the early 1950s, is moving to a brand-new building for the first time in decades. Smith, who declined to say how much DRS is investing in the project, said Phase I should be move-in ready by late February, while Phase II is on target to open in June of next year.
Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Huntsville, said DRS' testing and technological capabilities enhance U.S. military vehicles and equipment to determine when something is about to go wrong, which saves the U.S. a lot of money.
"Long term, we're only repairing things when we have to repair things, which means that we're maximizing the use of our vehicles instead of spending money early that does not need to be spent," he said. "Thanks to DRS Technologies and what they're doing for our nation's national defense, we're able to save substantial sums of money."
The property is being developed by Corporate Office Properties Trust in Maryland. When the project is complete, COPT said the $1 billion Redstone Gateway will have leased five office buildings spanning 500,000 square feet.