Fast-growing government contractor BlueHalo will not expand into the proposed Max Q multi-use development, a company official confirmed to Albuquerque Business First on Tuesday.
The Virginia-based engineering and defense firm previously planned to put a new 200,000-square-foot development at the site near Gibson Boulevard and Carlisle Boulevard, but has since found a different location — one that won't require new construction.
"BlueHalo will not be expanding at the MaxQ development. Selecting an existing location with the necessary infrastructure in place, allows the company to expand and meet a move-in schedule that enables on-target product deliveries to key customers," according to an email from spokesperson Tiffany Sevieri.
Instead, the company has leased 10800 Gibson Blvd. SE. The building was formerly occupied by satellite startup Theia Group, which took over the space following Raytheon's departure from the local market. According to Sevieri's email, the building on Gibson "will be the fourth facility in our Albuquerque campus." With that addition, BlueHalo now occupies 163,000 square feet in total in Albuquerque.
Although BlueHalo's original plans for a new building won't come to fruition, the company maintains that job creation will still occur. When BlueHalo's Max Q project was revealed in July 2021, the New Mexico Economic Development Department announced that the expansion would create 64 jobs at an average salary of $90,000.
Now, BlueHalo's local expansion "will enable the creation of over 70 jobs initially"and the firm is still planning to utilize Local Economic Development Act funding, Sevieri said. The state economic development department set aside $2.25 million in LEDA funds for BlueHalo while the city of Albuquerque pledged a $250,000 LEDA fund contribution of its own, according to the state.
Likewise, Bruce Krasnow, a spokesman for the New Mexico Economic Development Department, told Business First in a March 15 email that "nothing has changed with the state LEDA grant and planned investment." He added that "the new location should keep the company on track for its previously announced growth and new job numbers."
BlueHalo currently employs 300 people in Albuquerque. The facilities are meant to support "technology innovation and rapid transition to manufacturing" for different types of work including advanced radio-frequency systems, directed energy and laser communications, according to Sevieri's email.
"BlueHalo has a long-term commitment to New Mexico and this expansion will not only enhance the company’s ability to support current and future programs at Kirtland Air Force Base but will also serve as one of the major hubs across the national infrastructure," she said.
The news about BlueHalo's expansion also means, of course, that Max Q lost what would have been an early tenant. Max Q was revealed in 2018, however efforts accelerated in 2020 when the project's development group, Thunderbird Kirtland Development LLC, signed a 50-year lease with the government for the land.
Thunderbird is managed by Kevin Yearout, who was unable to be reached for comment Tuesday.
NAI Sun Vista Commercial Real Estate represents Thunderbird for office space and research and development leases, NAI owner and CEO Debbie Harms told Business First.
