MaxQ@Kirtland Breaks Ground on Two New Buildings and Signs Dunkin’ Donuts to Join High-Tech, Pad-Ready Campus

Development momentum accelerates at Space Valley innovation hub with new construction, retail growth, and industry partnerships

 

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — MaxQ@Kirtland, New Mexico’s premier high-tech innovation campus, today announced the official groundbreaking of two new buildings that mark a significant expansion of the site’s retail infrastructure. With completion anticipated in Q2 of 2026, the two new buildings will join the already operational Northrop Grumman facility, and further accelerate the region’s growing status as a national hub for defense, aerospace, and space innovation.

Coinciding with the groundbreaking, MaxQ also announced the signing of a lease agreement with Dunkin’ Donuts, which will open a new location in one of the buildings. Franchisees Amin Habib and Murad Fazal are expected to open the store by July 2026.

MaxQ@Kirtland, strategically located at the doorstep of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), is designed to support the mission-critical needs of aerospace and national security tenants, while also offering a dynamic environment that fosters collaboration, innovation, and community. The development combines secure research spaces with retail, dining, fitness, and collaborative workspaces, ensuring that world-class talent can thrive in both work and life. Further, the campus is pad-ready, so new facilities can be built and activated with speed, thanks to completed infrastructure and permitting that reduces delays and construction costs.
“There’s an undeniable buzz happening at MaxQ right now,” said MaxQ@Kirtland’s Kevin Yearout. “The recent addition of several new retail and tech partners is giving shape to the kind of ecosystem that can attract top-tier innovators and entrepreneurs, foster collaboration with the AFRL, and help unlock the full potential of the central Space Valley region.”

MaxQ’s growth is not only physical, but economic and cultural. The newly opened Kirtland Credit Union branch at the site celebrated a ribbon cutting this summer, joining a wave of businesses investing in the campus. The branch, part of KCU’s strategy to support local economic development, offers full banking services tailored to the growing defense and tech workforce. “This is just the beginning,” said KCU CEO Matt Rarden in recent media coverage. “We’re proud to be part of this exciting new chapter.”

The groundbreaking and Dunkin’ announcements follow major news from NewSpace Nexus, which recently unveiled plans for a $15 million NewSpace Center at MaxQ expected to create 1,000 jobs over the next five years. The center will serve as a catalytic launchpad for emerging space companies and technologies in New Mexico and beyond.

“There is immense value in being co-located at MaxQ@Kirtland, just steps from AFRL,” said Casey Anglada DeRaad, NewSpace Nexus founder and executive director. “This is where world-changing ideas in space are born, tested, and scaled. We’re thrilled to see this community growing and to play a role in advancing not only the national security mission, but the global space ecosystem.”

As part of its effort to continue growing its on-campus space community, MaxQ@Kirtland has partnered with CBRE commercial real estate experts Scott Whitefield, SIOR, and Shóna Martinez. CBRE is the world’s largest commercial real estate services firm.

“We are very excited to be a part of the major impact that MaxQ@Kirtland is bringing to New Mexico,” noted Scott Whitefield. “This development represents a forward-looking vision of how the science, tech and defense industries in Albuquerque can truly thrive together.”

Media Contact:


Liza Fleury
The Riotmind Agency
liza@theriotmind.agency

About MaxQ@Kirtland
MaxQ@Kirtland is a 70-acre high-tech development located at the entrance to Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Designed to co-locate defense, aerospace, and space industry leaders in a collaborative, secure, and amenity-rich environment, MaxQ is helping lead the transformation of New Mexico into a national center of innovation in the emerging “Space Valley” corridor.