Site Preparation Work Begins for Kollmorgen Facility at Village Hill Northampton

August 28, 2008

MassDevelopment announced today that work is underway to prepare the 11-acre upper south campus of Village Hill Northampton for Kollmorgen Electro-Optical's 150,000-square-foot facility. Site work includes the environmental abatement, demolition and removal of three buildings on the south campus, and is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year. Kollmorgen, a designer and manufacturer of periscopes, optronic sensors and electro-optical devices for submarines and integrated imaging systems, plans to begin construction for its new headquarters in early 2009.

“We are extremely pleased to welcome a dynamic business like Kollmorgen to Village Hill as the project's second commercial tenant,” said Robert L. Culver, MassDevelopment president/CEO. “Kollmorgen is a historic manufacturer dedicated to the City of Northampton. The company is a perfect fit for Village Hill Northampton.”

MassDevelopment is coordinating the site work in accordance to revisions made to the project's Master Plan approved by the Citizens Advisory Committee on May 22, 2008. Despite efforts to market the existing south campus buildings, the structures' poor condition proved cost prohibitive for potential end users. Kollmorgen's development plan is still subject to public review during the permitting process with the City of Northampton.

“This is a great project for Northampton,” said Mayor Mary Clare Higgins. “Not only will it retain our city's largest manufacturer and a top employer, it will also give Kollmorgen the space it needs to grow and create more high quality jobs in the future.”

Village Hill Northampton is a master-planned community based on New Urbanist principles. It combines commercial, R&D/light industrial and residential uses with open space to support regional job creation, business development and recreational opportunities. MassDevelopment is the project's managing partner, working collaboratively with The Community Builders, Inc. to oversee the development effort.