BALTIMORE, MD (October 10, 2012) – St. John Properties, Inc. has initiated construction on BWI Technology Park II, a 44-acre mixed-use business community located near BWI Airport in Anne Arundel County that is designed to support approximately 270,000 square feet of office, flex and retail space suitable for the employment of nearly 1,500 workers. Groundbreaking of the park’s first R&D/flex building follows a nearly four-year reclamation project on the site in which the company removed more than 45,000 spent and discarded car and truck tires as part of Maryland’s Scrap Tire Program. BWI Technology Park II represents the seventh business community developed by St. John Properties in Anne Arundel County, and the initial R&D/flex building is the company’s 100th commercial office or retail project in this jurisdiction.

BWI Technology Park II, St. John Properties’ third office/retail project situated at the MD 295/Nursery Road interchange, complements the existing 600,000 square foot BWI Tech Park business community. The final portion of this three-project development is the planned BWI Tech Park III, which is designed to support a four-story, 120,000 square foot Class “A” office building and a pad-site reserved for a free-standing restaurant. Construction activities for this third and final business community are expected to commence later this year.

The inaugural building at BWI Technology Park II is 809 Pinnacle Drive, a single-story, 51,120 square foot R&D/flex building that is expected to be completed in first quarter 2013. St. John Properties intends to develop an additional six buildings within the business community, including a 61,200 square foot Class “A” office building and three R&D/flex buildings cumulatively offering an additional 145,000 square feet of space. BWI Technology Park II also features a retail component consisting of approximately 20,000 square feet of space to serve office tenants and surrounding residential neighborhoods.

St. John Properties reclaimed the 44-acre parcel, formerly known as the Sachs/Linthicum project, through a clean-up program that was considered among the most extensive of any effort performed under the Maryland Department of the Environment’s Solid Waste Program. “Our successful remediation turned a neglected eyesore and environmental liability into a significant opportunity that will create energy and momentum at the interchange, attract long-term jobs and add to Anne Arundel County’s tax base,” explained Jerry Wit, Senior Vice President, Marketing for St. John Properties. “Upon completion of our development strategy, we will have created three prominent office and retail parks on the four corners of this interchange, and it will serve as the virtual entrance to Anne Arundel County.”

809 Pinnacle Drive, which is being constructed with a brick and glass exterior, will feature 16-foot ceiling heights, suite sizes beginning at 2,520 square feet of space and rear loading docks. The building is designed to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design® (LEED) certification featuring high-energy HVAC units, energy-efficient motion sensor light fixtures, double pane insulated glass, white TPO roofing membrane, dual-flush toilets and waterless urinals and the use of low VOC paint and adhesives. Storm water runoff is managed utilizing a state-of-the-art system that minimizes the effect on local waterways.

“Activity for commercial office and retail space is brisk within the Anne Arundel County marketplace, and we are proceeding with confidence in the development of BWI Tech II,” Wit added. “A number of economic drivers are accelerating the recent demand, including the emerging cyber security industry, as well as the financial services and healthcare sectors. BWI Airport remains a business magnet, as companies continue to demand immediate access to one of the busiest transportation hubs in the world.”

Nearly 100,000 people reside within a three-mile radius of BWI Tech Park II, with an average household income of approximately $60,000.

St. John Properties, Inc., founded in 1971, owns and has developed nearly 17 million square feet of office, R&D/flex, retail and warehouse space in Maryland, Virginia, Colorado, Louisiana, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. For more information about the company, visit sjp.mu9b0uf9-liquidwebsites.com.

For more information, contact:
Al Cunniff, Director of Marketing, St. John Properties, Inc.
410-369-1277