About Us

Airport Industrial Center (AIC) of Greater Louisville is an urban industrial park in south Louisville, Kentucky. AIC is located at the former Naval Station Louisville, which was privatized in 1996 after a Department of Defense base closure.

AIC enjoys the support of a unified community of business, government and education leaders. Current tenants of the park include two of the nation’s largest defense contractors, BAE Systems and Raytheon Corporation. These companies, supported by an on-site group of Navy engineers, continue to provide repair, overhaul, engineering and manufacturing services for some of the Navy’s largest and most sophisticated weapons systems.

AIC, through a long-term ground lease with the Louisville/Jefferson County Redevelopment Authority, Inc., is owned and operated by Titan Research & Development. Titan maintains an on-site facility in the Center and is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Leasing is managed by Commercial Kentucky, Cushman & Wakefeild.

Brief History of AIC

Airport Industrial Center and its predecessor, Naval Ordnance Station Louisville, have a proud history of service to the armed forces of America dating back to World War II. The park continues to be a world-class center for repairing and manufacturing the Navy’s large guns and missile systems.

On January 29, 1941, ground was broken for what was to become Naval Ordnance Station Louisville (NOSL). The plant was commissioned on October 1, 1941, under contract to Westinghouse Electric Corporation as a Naval Shore Establishment.

Personnel were employed in the assembly of gun mounts, torpedo tubes, and other naval ordnance. In 1946, NOSL was turned over to Navy control when Westinghouse’s contract expired.

Over time, changes to mission and responsibility took place. In the 1990s, NOSL was the only Navy facility capable of providing both major overhaul and complete engineering and technical support services for the Navy’s surface weapon systems. NOSL remanufactured, repaired, and updated naval gun systems from 20 millimeters through five inches and provided engineering support for all naval guns.

On August 16, 1996, NOSL returned to the concept of private industry management. NOSL responsibilities were distributed between BAE, Hughes Missile System Company, the local government, and a small government workforce. The remaining government presence at NOSL became known as Naval Surface Warfare Center Port Hueneme Division Louisville Detachment.

Responding to the station’s selection for closure in 1995, the Louisville community successfully advocated for a unique plan to privatize the Navy’s operations, keeping the military workload in Louisville. This first of its kind, privatization-in-place project saved 1,000 quality jobs for the community and made available a number of office and manufacturing buildings for use by new employers.

In 2004, Titan Research & Development Louisville, LLC, entered into a 99-year lease with the Louisville/Jefferson County Redevelopment Authority. Among other things, the lease empowers Titan with the ability to construct new speculative or build-to-suit buildings and redevelop and lease the existing buildings to a wide variety of tenants, which will create and keep good quality jobs in Louisville.

The characteristics that made Naval Ordnance Station a world-class weapons manufacturing center for more than half a century are today making Airport Industrial Center a prime location for new and expanding businesses in the 21st Century.

Titan Research & Development Louisville LLC

The local Titan office is managed under the direction of John McLaren. Mr. McLaren has over 20 years experience in effectively managing and developing commercial real estate. As a long-time Louisville-area resident, John is very much in tune with the commercial real estate market and the needs of tenants.

For general information:
John M. McLaren
direct: 502-364-5495
johnm@aiclouisville.com

For leasing information:
JLL – Jones, Lang & Lasalle
office: 502-426-1600
jll.com

Our Vision

To enhance and accelerate the economic benefits to the community from the redevelopment of the park as a mixed-use real estate complex by:

  • Retaining existing jobs with the privatization contractors and other tenants of the leased premises
  • Constructing no less than 500,000 square feet of new buildings in the Center within ten years
  • Attracting at least 1,000 new jobs over a ten year period from such redevelopment
  • Creating an improved business development environment, including building modernization and development
  • Developing a comprehensive land use plan to enhance the Center’s importance to the community
  • Developing a marketing and incentive plan to accelerate the redevelopment of the Center
  • Maximizing job retention and growth