Update on the Government and Technology Enterprise Park (GATE) Project Near Aberdeen Proving Ground

While much of Maryland continues to be mired in a commercial real estate slow down of epic proportions, BRAC is helping to initiate a much needed boost to Maryland’s economy. Evidence of this can be found at the St. John’s Properties project in Aberdeen where construction is currently underway on two separate commercial office buildings leased by L-3 Communications and Raytheon Company which will occupy a total of 75,000 square feet of space each at “The Government and Technology Enterprise” (GATE) project, a 416 acre parcel, 2-3 million square foot business community located within Aberdeen Proving Ground in Harford County. The GATE is being developed to meet anti-terrorism and force-protection standards and will house both defense contractors and military and federal agencies. L-3 Communications’ Command and Control Systems and Software unit plans to relocate 400 employees to a 3-story, Class A, LEED silver-certified building. Raytheon Company is expected to employ 300 workers at a separate 75,000 square foot 3-story, Class A, LEED silver-certified building. Both buildings are expected to be finished this summer.

Ever since St. John Properties was assigned the exclusive development rights for GATE in the summer 2009 from Opus East, LLC, there has been significant real estate activity at GATE, including:

In October 2009, the company acquired an existing 60,000 square foot single-story building fully leased to CACI International, Inc., a national security and defense company. CACI is subleasing 45,000 square feet to the U.S. Army Joint Satellite Command.

The main entrance into Aberdeen Proving Ground, known as Maryland Boulevard, was upgraded by $23 million to improve access to the fort.

A new 2.4 million square foot facility for the U.S. Army Command, Control, Computer, Communication, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance operations (known as C4ISR) is anticipated to be delivered in 2010 and in 2011 will be the workplace for up to 10,000 workers who are expected to relocate from among other places, Fort Monmouth, New Jersey.


The tangible examples of BRAC’s ability to spur commercial real estate development as evidenced by GATE are encouraging to the 2010 Maryland economic forecast.


Tami Daniel