Willmeng Construction breaks ground on a new Orbital ATK Campus in Chandler

CHANDLER, Ariz. – Willmeng Construction, Phoenix, broke ground on a 617,000-square-foot campus for Orbital ATK, which will serve as the Launch Vehicles Division Headquarters. This is the latest example of how thoughtful vision and planning for mixed-use developments like Park Place by developer Douglas Allred Company, San Diego, Calif., are spurring more corporate relocations, economic development and job creation opportunities along Chandler’s Price Road Corridor.

Located along one of Metropolitan Phoenix’s fastest-growing employment and innovation corridors at the intersection of the Loop 101 and 202 freeways on a 47-acre site at the southeast corner of Price and Willis roads, Orbital ATK’s new multiple-building facility includes office space and 261,000 square feet of state-of the-art manufacturing space, strategically positioned within the campus, scheduled for completion in 2019.

It’s the latest addition by Douglas Allred Company at Park Place, a 180-acre master-planned office/flex space development that will offer a variety of low- and mid-rise office space, executive suites, hotels, conference centers, light industrial parks as well as mixed-use and corporate campus settings. Park Place has fully-leased all of the buildings constructed since the masterplan development first began in 2008, totaling 1.233-million square feet of fully-occupied space.

Known for seeing an area’s potential, in such campus developments in the Valley as the iconic Cotton Center in the late 1990s, Allred President Dave Allred has developed a successful recipe for attracting and quickly securing corporate headquarters such as the relocation of Infusionsoft’s headquarters from Gilbert in 2012 to Park Place and an Orbital ATK campus at Park Place in Chandler.

“Our ultimate vision would always be a world-class headquarters of international status and Orbital ATK’s new campus aids in that goal. The fact that they are going to co-locate in a city that is driving a mecca of technology and innovation is an additional win in welcoming Orbital ATK to Park Place,” Allred commented.

“Orbital ATK’s continued investment in Chandler — and in the Price Road Corridor — is a shining example of our long-term vision for this employment center,” said Chandler Mayor Jay Tibshraeny. “Adding these sustainable, high-wage jobs to the community, along with the research and development that will take place, only solidifies our reputation as the Innovation and Technology Hub of the Southwest.”

“Chandler’s economic development team is very forward-thinking, planned out the infrastructure well, and is just top-notch to work with to achieve the long-term vision for Park Place and this innovation corridor,” Allred said.

President of Willmeng Construction, James Murphy, said, “Dave and the team at the Douglas Allred Company have a laser focus to strategically create appealing and unique campus environments, the business acumen to assemble the land, and the ability to successfully negotiate leases that are mutually beneficial at a speed that is truly unparalleled in the market.”

“They approach each new development as a long-term hold, which means that quality and sustainability are the priority throughout design and construction,” Murphy added. “Willmeng is honored to begin another challenging and successful project with Douglas Allred Company and Balmer Architectural Group to accomplish this significant milestone as a team.”

Rich Straka, vice president and general manager of Orbital ATK’s Launch Vehicles Division, said he is looking forward to expanding the company’s business in Chandler. “The launch vehicles we design and manufacture here are instrumental in providing cargo to the crews on the International Space Station, launching satellites for space and earth science, and in defending the nation. This new campus allows Orbital ATK to continue to execute on these vital programs for our country.”

In 2017, Orbital ATK hired 250 employees at its Chandler facility. The company has plans to fill 200 open positions this year and eventually expand its Chandler workforce by at least another 50 employees over the next year and a half.

Since the Price Road Corridor was first identified as a major employment area through city planning and development documents in 1982, the Maricopa Association of Governments reports, approximately 540 businesses have set up operations in the area, accounting for more than 36,000 jobs. Douglas Allred Company was a pioneer in this envisioned area, investing in more than 72 acres of land in 2007 at what is now known as Park Place.

Today, Price Road Corridor is known for its prime location, infrastructure and access to highly-skilled and educated workforce, which make it a hotbed for leading-edge companies involved with advanced business services, aerospace, life sciences, sustainable and high technology research and

Mark Krison and Brad Anderson at CBRE are the brokers for the project.