If bid is winner, center is possible

Durham County, contractor waiting

DURHAM -- A major defense contractor hopes to expand operations in the Triangle and create a 240,000-square-foot data center in Research Triangle Park that would offer 200 new jobs.

Durham County plans to chip in $1 million in incentives if that happens, county commissioners said Monday.

Representatives from Computer Sciences Corp., an international information technology business with about 300 Triangle employees, say they are waiting to find out whether they are awarded a large federal contract.

If their bid is accepted, the group would start renovating the the sprawling former campus of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in RTP known as the Triangle Life Science Center. The company plans to immediately invest $250 million in the former EPA site.

The campus sits at 86 T.W. Alexander Drive, near the intersection with N.C. 54. The 400,000-square-foot space has been vacant about five years, Deputy County Manager Carolyn Titus said.

"It has been a place that I had hoped would be redeveloped," said Ellen Reckhow, chairwoman of the county Board of Commissioners. "I think it's very good news that CSC is considering this redevelopment. We hope ... we will be chosen as the site for the expansion."

If the project goes forward, Durham County officials also would give the company $1 million over 10 years for costs of expansion and employee training, they decided unanimously Monday night.

At a public hearing, one citizen, Victoria Peterson, asked that the company strive to hire minorities. Other comments came from supporters of the project, including representatives from the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce and Durham Technical Community College.

Waiting on decision

It will be July before Computer Sciences Corp. learns whether its bid on the federal contract was accepted, said Jennifer Petry, a director of technical sales and solutions support.

Petry said she couldn't disclose which federal agency was the prospective client.

At least two other corporations also have entered bids on the contract, said Ted Conner, vice president of economic development for the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce.

"It's a highly competitive project," Titus said. "The incentives that we provide would lower the price of their bid ... lowering that bid would increase our chances."

Computer Sciences Corp, employs more than 77,000 people in more than 50 countries. Its corporate headquarters is in El Segundo, Calif.

About a third of the company's revenue comes from federal contracts. A quarter of its revenue, which topped $14.7 billion in the past calendar year, comes from U.S. Department of Defense work.