Ground Broken for Germantown Tech Firm

County officials and business executives broke ground Wednesday for a new building for a Germantown-based technology firm at Milestone Business Park.

Digital Receiver Technology Inc., a subsidiary of Boeing Co., plans to build a five-story, 162,000-square-foot facility in the office park, officials announced Wednesday. DRT develops wireless surveillance products, primarily for military intelligence operations and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The new facility, at 12410 Milestone Center Drive, is expected to be used primarily for government contract work.

The company was acquired by Boeing in December 2008 and now operates within Boeing’s Integrated Defense Systems’ Network & Space Systems unit.

Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett said that the project would help position Germantown as a hub for high-end technology businesses and would help build a case for the need for the Corridor Cities Transitway, the long-awaited mass-transit line that would connect Clarksburg to Shady Grove.

"We have now moved from the planning phase to taking action," Leggett said.

Four hundred Boeing employees will be transferred to the new building next summer and fall, said spokeswoman Mary McAdam. The project would create construction jobs but would not immediately create new jobs in technology, said John Hinshaw, Boeing's vice president and general manager for information solutions.

The project will cost $46.1 million, with Multi-Employer Property Trust provided the funds, said McAdam.

Campbell Smith, head of development firm Trammell Crow Co., said Germantown is nicely positioned for development because of its proximity to transportation and the amenities—theaters, schools and shopping—that make it an attractive place to live. Trammell Crow was also involved in the developing the nearby Century Technology Campus project.

"I think we can argue that Germantown is one of the most dynamic markets in Montgomery County," Smith said.