Growing demand for new space for defense industry commercial contractors — as well as a potential increase in regional federal contracts — are driving new plans to expand the WestGate @ Crane Technology Park just southwest of Bloomington.

The park features more than 100,000 square feet of new construction built over the past 24 months and the park’s developer plans to break ground on a new 30,000 square foot building before the end of the year, according to Gene Shaw, president of the WestGate Authority.

As part of the expansion, park officials are finalizing plans for new improvements to the certified technology park, including building new roads, burying power lines and demolishing blighted facilities near the park.

They also plan a national marketing campaign, with large scale ads set to run in the national Defense News weekly beginning on Nov. 2.