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Raytheon looking for more space in Loudoun
Raytheon Co. may not be done expanding its presence in Loudoun.The government contractor, which signed a blockbuster deal this month to lease 600,000 square feet of office space in Ashburn, is also looking to move a large manufacturing facility now based in Falls Church to Loudoun.
“This is actually good economic news for Loudoun,” said an excited Supervisor Lori Waters (R-Broad Run), chairwoman of the Board of Supervisors' economic development committee.
The additional space Raytheon needs, according to company spokesman Keith Little, is at least 80,000 square feet.
He said the company is looking at buildings within a one-mile radius of its future Ashburn site. The space would need to be secure and ready for use within the next 18 months. The items the facility would produce, he said, include containers for unmanned aircraft ground-control systems.
Earlier this month, Gov. Tim Kaine (D) announced that the Massachusetts-based company had decided to consolidate its Northern Virginia operations into former AOL buildings near Route 28 and Waxpool Road.
The company was lured to Loudoun, in part, by a financial commitment by the state to improve nearby Pacific Boulevard. Work on the road is expected to cost $14.5 million.
The deal was the second largest lease negotiated in the country this year as of April 1, according to Bethesda, Md.-based CoStar Group, which monitors the commercial real estate market.
Starting in late 2010, Raytheon, which employs 4,000 people in Virginia, will move portions of its technical services, intelligence division and information-systems business unit to Ashburn.
In response to Raytheon's eventual move, county officials recently prepared a report outlining how the company's presence will benefit Loudoun. They concluded:
The move may entice other government contractors to set up shop in Loudoun.
Raytheon's many suppliers may follow the company to the county.
Raytheon's 1,500 workers will frequent area restaurants and stores.
And finally, many of the company's workers may decide to live in Loudoun, reducing the county's backlog of unsold homes.
Contact the reporter at jjacks@timespapers.com
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