G.A.T.E.

With this lease now inked and the single-story R&D facility expected to be ready for occupancy this October, Opus East is now working on tenant proposals for the second building under development in phase one, Scott Brody, vice president and general manager at Opus East, tells GlobeSt.com. "There has been a lot of interest from companies in New Jersey that are relocating because of BRAC [Base Realignment and Closure Act of 2005]." He says the new building--a four-story, 80,000-sf office--will be leased at market rates. CACI's R&D facility was leased at a negotiated rate, he says.

Under BRAC, Aberdeen Proving Ground is being redeveloped into a business research center that will add 6,000 new government jobs to the base, approximately 5,000 of which are being relocated from New Jersey under BRAC. Opus East was granted the right to develop a 400-acre site within the base's perimeter under the Army's Enhanced Use Lease program. It is the only EUL at Aberdeen and one of the largest in the country, Brody says. Under its terms, Opus East can develop more than two million sf of office, lab, and R&D space. It is leasing 13 land bays for 50 years, allowing the Army to develop underutilized property and redirect the proceeds back into the Aberdeen Proving Ground facilities.

Phase one--the development of the land bay F--can accommodate up to 240,000 sf, or three buildings. Brody says the firm will move to develop the third building once it lands a few leases for the second building.