Construction of the second building at the National Aerospace Research and Technology Park (NARTP) in Egg Harbor Township is moving forward with the award by the Atlantic County Improvement Authority of a $14.3 million construction contract to T.N. Ward.
Construction of the 40,000 sq. ft. research and office facility is expected to be completed in 16 months prior to fit-out of office suites.
The 58-acre park is located adjacent to the Federal Aviation Administration’s William J. Hughes Technical Center. Together with the Atlantic City International Airport, the three facilities are co-located in the state’s only designated Aviation District that anchors a developing aviation and aerospace industry.
“The first building is fully occupied and continues to attract interest. Space was recently modified to accommodate three new tenants,” explained County Executive Dennis Levinson. “We built it and they did come, despite the naysayers. And now we are building again as demand grows to take advantage of the assets we have here in Atlantic County.”
Occupants of the first building include General Dynamics, Woolpert, the National Institute of Aerospace, the FAA and Atlantic County Institute of Technology. General Dynamics consolidated its space to provide space for two new tenants: Applied Research Associates, a federal scientific research and engineering contractor, and Quecon, Inc., an engineering consultant. A third new tenant, Signature Sciences, took the space previously occupied by Thunderbolt.
Funding for the second building has been attained with support from federal, state and county governments, including a $3 million grant from US Economic Development Administration; a $5 million grant from the NJ Department of Community Affairs; $2.5 million from Atlantic County; and an anticipated $8 million investment from the NJ Economic Development Authority. A portion of that building will include the Aerospace Innovation Center, the state’s fifth Strategic Innovation Center, with connectivity to the FAA’s advanced aerospace data systems and laboratories.
The NARTP is receiving increasing interest from Unmanned Aerial Systems and Advanced Air Mobility related companies following the FAA’s multi-year agreement with NASA to use space at the park for advanced air mobility projects. Research focuses on safety implications and emerging technologies needed to support the development of new regulatory standards.
“It’s an exciting time to be in Atlantic County and serve such an integral role in the evolution of the aerospace industry,” stated Levinson. “The dedicated efforts of the NARTP, the Atlantic County Economic Alliance and their supportive partners are making an undeniable impact that will not only benefit our residents but individuals throughout the country and around the world.”
