Boeing plans Mesa military manufacturing campus expansion

Boeing Co. is proposing an expansion of its Mesa manufacturing campus that could create hundreds of new jobs and boost production of advanced composite components for U.S. military aircraft.

The Arlington, Virginia-based aerospace giant plans to build a nearly 268,000-square-foot fabrication center on a 38-acre industrial site near the northeast corner of Greenfield and McDowell roads, according to documents filed with the city of Mesa.

Boeing’s proposed fabrication center will be built adjacent to the company’s existing 158,000-square-foot manufacturing facility on its Mesa campus and be used for “fabrication of highly specialized carbon military parts,” according to a project narrative.

The fabrication center is expected to employ 260 workers across two shifts. The company’s existing manufacturing facility employs 240 people, the project narrative shows.

The proposed expansion by Boeing comes as Arizona has seen a surge in interest from defense and aerospace contractors looking to relocate to the state or expand existing facilities, amid a surge in defense spending by the Trump administration. Earlier this year, the Arizona Commerce Authority had 69 companies in those two sectors on its short list in discussions about expansion or relocation.

Boeing (NYSE: BA) is also expanding an existing central utility plant and liquid nitrogen farm at its manufacturing campus, both of which are expected to double in size.

Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the proposed project.

The city of Mesa’s Design Review Board discussed Boeing’s project during a July 14 study session. No action was taken on the project, which still needs to go through the city’s approval process, a city of Mesa spokesperson told the Business Journal.

As part of the project, Boeing is requesting a special use permit to allow the proposed fabrication center to exceed a maximum height of 40 feet in the Airfield Overlay District. The single-story building is expected to be 60 feet high.

Boeing is also requesting an administrative use permit to reduce the number of parking spaces on its Mesa campus. The company is adding 278 new parking spaces as part of the new building addition, bringing the total number of spaces to 552.

That number differs from the city of Mesa’s employee-based parking space calculation of 447 new spaces for the new fabrication center, according to project documents.

BRPH is the design firm for the project, while Kimley-Horn & Associates Inc. is providing landscape planning services for the site.

In 2022, Boeing opened its advanced composite fabrication center on its Mesa campus. The facility operates through Phantom Works, which is Boeing’s proprietary research and prototyping division.

The company uses the facility and its Mesa campus to design, test and manufacture secure composite components for future combat aircraft and rotocraft.

Boeing secured new military contract in late 2025

Boeing’s facility expansion comes several months after the company secured a $2.7 billion military contract to provide post-production support services for the U.S.Army’s AH-65 Apache attack helicopters, which are made at the company’s Mesa facility.

That deal follows a $4.685 billion contract Boeing won in late November for continued work on its Apache helicopter output. The Polish military was one of the major contractors in that deal, as were other foreign customers, the Business Journal previously reported.

Boeing has been producing Apache helicopters since 1975, and Arizona dignitaries gathered in November to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the program and its economic impact on Mesa and the state.

Nearly 3,000 aircraft have been produced by Boeing in Mesa with more than 1,300 in operation around the globe, according to the company.

Boeing is one of Arizona’s largest employers, with a headcount of nearly 5,000 workers in the Grand Canyon State