Arlington City Council unanimously gave the go-ahead Oct. 14 for a booming Arlington-based aerospace products manufacturer to greatly expand.
Circuit Systems Co. Inc. will add about 23,000 square feet to its facility on West Pioneer Parkway to accommodate additional manufacturing space. The original building was a liquor store that was converted to manufacturing.
Circuit Systems is a family-owned business that launched in 1983 and was incorporated in 1984. It is owned by Arlington businessman Grady King and is one of a few U.S.-based, first-tier contract manufacturers making aerospace bonding jumper cables, bus bars and grounding straps.
The Planning and Zoning commission unanimously approved the expansion Sept. 24 at its regular meeting.
The property at 5301 West Pioneer Parkway encompasses 7.168 acres north of West Pioneer Parkway and west of West Green Oaks Boulevard. A part of the property is developed with the 11,880 square-foot building and zoned planned development (PD15-5) for light industrial.
Circuit Systems’ products are used in all commercial and military aircraft as well as many other aerospace applications, including the F-22 and F-35 aircraft from Fort Worth-based Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, and on the International Space Station.
Circuit Systems representatives said the additional space will incorporate similar architectural features and materials found on its existing building.
In 2015, King bought and moved into what was previously a Big Daddy’s liquor store that had been vacant for a while. King had plans to expand the building, as business grew.
The original planned development a decade ago took into consideration the existing building, the site constraints, and excluded some uses that would typically be allowed by right, said Nikki Moore, a land development consultant with Arlington-based technology-focused design firm MMA.
She said Circuit Systems is a very clean business.
“It does not use a lot of chemicals, so there are no contamination or noxious odors,” Moore said.
Council member Andrew Piel said during the meeting that he was impressed with the expansion.
“I do want to say this is the best adaptive reuse of a liquor store ever in the history of mankind,” Piel said.
Arlington–based Circuit Systems’ existing building was once a liquore store. (Photo | Courtesy City of Arlington)
Lance Murray is a freelance contributor covering business for the Arlington Report.
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