BAE Opens New Office Building In $58M Development
STERLING HEIGHTS -- Defense contractor BAE Systems Thursday opened the doors to its new engineering, program management, and prototyping campus, marking the completion of its three-year expansion project in Sterling Heights.
The new, four-story office building has the capacity to house approximately 600 engineers, program managers, and support staff.
The environmentally friendly, 164,000-square-foot office building is a prime example of BAE Systems' commitment to ecological responsibility and was built to meet the specifications of a Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification -- a first in the city of Sterling Heights.
The Sterling Heights expansion project broke ground in February 2009 after the company acquired the site of former TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. The office complex and adjacent prototype center cost $58 million to construct and occupies approximately 230,000 square feet and sits on 81 acres of land that includes a banked test track.
The prototype center opened in August 2010 and together with the office complex is a premier center for the engineering, development and program management of military ground vehicles, such as Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV) and Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV).
The new structure includes recycled building materials, Low "E" glass to reduce thermal load, entryway systems to capture dirt and particles, individual lighting controls, and low-flow, high-efficiency plumbing fixtures and water-efficient landscaping to reduce water consumption.
The new site also entered into a single stream recycling program with DeSantis Trucking Inc, where all recyclable waste is mixed together in one trash receptacle and then sorted for recycling. The single stream recycling program enables the site to be landfill free.
"We've always believed that the Sterling Heights area was a great place to invest our resources in close proximity to our customers," said Frank Pope, president of the land and armaments sector at BAE systems. "Here, we have a workforce of talent and experience unique to this region, individuals with skills born out of the world's leading automotive manufacturers. Adding to this advantage is the infrastructure and diverse pool of suppliers associated with the auto industry."
The overall project team included support from Gov. Rick Snyder's office, the city of Sterling Heights, the Michigan Economic Development Corp., Macomb County, Plante Moran CRESA, and general contractor Walbridge.
