Defense Firm Begins 475,000-SF Renovation/Expansion

NEW YORK CITY-Rockville, MD-based defense contractor BAE Systems is moving forward with a major consolidation of its Long Island operations. The firm will move its Reconnaissance and Surveillance Systems unit from its current quarters in Syosset and house it under the same roof with BAE Advanced Systems’ existing Greenlawn campus in Huntington Township.

Uniting the two businesses is a $19-million renovation-and-expansion project that involves roughly 475,000 sf of space at 1 Hazeltine Way in Greenlawn. BAE is eligible to apply for a $1 million Empire State Development capital grant for costs associated with the company’s relocation. The build out and move, scheduled to be completed by 2005, is expected to create 148 new jobs in Suffolk County. The project will also enable BAE to retain 348 jobs from the Syosset operation.

“Especially considering the major new challenges the national economic downturn is presenting to communities all across the country, this announcement is great news for Long Island,” Governor George Pataki commented about the move.