Agency Breaks Ground for NextGen Research Park
The FAA broke ground on October 19 for a new research park dedicated to exploring and advancing NextGen technologies.
The agency is leasing 55 acres of land to the South Jersey Economic Development District to build an Aviation Research and Technology Park, which will sit adjacent to the FAA’s William J. Hughes Technical Center just outside of Atlantic City, N.J.
The park, which will be constructed at no direct cost to the agency, will offer a central location for the FAA's industry partners to perform research, development, testing, integration, and verification of the technologies, concepts, and procedures required by NextGen. The Technical Center's multi-modal location gives research park partners access to research laboratories and testing facilities that will support all facets of NextGen.
The Aviation Research and Technology Park will complement Florida's NextGen demonstration capabilities at Daytona International Airport. Advanced NextGen technologies developed and tested at the Technical Center will be demonstrated in an operational environment at Daytona, then returned to the Technical Center for integration with the current air traffic control system and other components of NextGen.
The first building planned for the site will occupy 44,500 square feet, and cost roughly $10 million. The park, which is expected to create 2,000 new high-skill jobs, is capable of accommodating up to 400,000 square feet of technology-oriented facilities. Total private sector investment by the time the park is completed has been estimated at between $80 and $100 million.