The opening comes in the wake of massive layoffs in telecom companies in the Route 495 region such as Nortel Networks, Lucent Technologies and Sycamore Networks. Cisco bought this site over three years ago for its regional headquarters and at one point stopped construction as the telecom industry collapsed.

But Carl Redfield, senior vice president, worldwide manufacturing operations for Cisco says, "The opening of Cisco's new centralized campus in Boxborough illustrates the company's strong commitment to a lasting technological presence in New England. In the almost ten years since Cisco established its first facility in New England we have developed a strong appreciation for the culture of innovation and quality of life in the region. Cisco's Boxborough campus will serve as a hub of technology excellence in New England reflecting the deep and diverse talent pool."

The new facility comprises 350 acres. In addition, the company owns another 138-acre facility in Boxborough which was acquired more than three years ago. That facility consists of 277,000-sf of office space and can accommodate up to 900 employees.

The new three-building campus consolidates a number of Cisco facilities in the area, such as Acton Chelmsford, Franklin, Lowell and Lexington. The company says the site centralizes elements of several business organizations including development engineering, customer advocacy and other business functions. The new site also houses two labs, the East Coast product compliance lab and an electronic design validation testing lab.

The company has designated 200 acres of this parcel as open space.