General Motors and the City of Arlington on Friday celebrated the groundbreaking of the future Arlington Automotive Logistics Center, a $250 million redevelopment project that will bring hundreds of new, good-paying jobs to the city.
NorthPoint Development plans to construct two warehouses with a combined 1.2 million square feet of industrial space for General Motors Assembly Plant suppliers on the former Six Flags Mall site at Division Street and State Highway 360. The project is designed to increase efficiency and productivity of GM 's Arlington Assembly Plant by moving its part suppliers closer and reducing transportation costs.
The supplier park, set to open next year, is estimated to support up to 1,800 employees at project build-out. Of those, an estimated 850 jobs will be new in Arlington.
"Through strong supplier and community relations, we 're able to create new supplier parks to generate significant benefits to our manufacturing operations and the communities in which we operate," said Steve Kiefer, GM senior vice president of Global Purchasing and Supply Chain. "This new supplier park will create improved logistics efficiency and coordination, while also bringing significant employment opportunities to Arlington."
Local, county, state and national elected officials attended Friday 's announcement about the supplier hub, which will be located across the highway from the GM plant. In addition to transforming a shopping center that was no longer economically viable, the supplier hub is expected to generate $151 million in taxable sales and purchases in the city during the next decade.
"We 're here to celebrate new jobs, we 're here to celebrate new economic development, we 're here to celebrate new investment," said U.S. Senator Ted Cruz. "Your partners are investing in a 1.2 million-square-foot facility here in Arlington that is going to produce 850 new jobs, new high-paying jobs coming to Texas."
General Motors is one of the largest employers in Arlington and North Texas and is a key part of the City 's economic foundation. The Arlington Assembly Plant, currently undergoing a $1.4 billion expansion, employs more than 4,200 workers and produces approximately 320,000 full-size sports utility vehicles each year. Those vehicles include the Chevy Tahoe and Suburban; GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade.
Earlier this week, the Arlington City Council recreated a reinvestment zone for the NorthPoint property and approved economic incentives to facilitate the redevelopment project.
"General Motors has been a part of the American Dream in Arlington from the beginning. In fact, the opening of the assembly plant in Arlington in 1954 was one of the key ignitors of our city 's incredible population and economic growth. And now, more than 60 years later, GM continues to be a critical foundation of Arlington 's economy," said Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams. "I am pleased the City Council has once again successfully worked with General Motors, this time to revitalize and redevelop an area that was a deteriorating shopping center and turn it into a vibrant manufacturing site. This action will have an impact on our community for generations to come and further solidify the partnership between Arlington and General Motors."
The City of Arlington continues its efforts to create jobs, attract more visitors, and maintain a desirable environment for businesses. Strategic economic development allows Arlington to build its commercial tax base while keeping the tax rate low so the city can continue to provide the high-quality services -; such as police, fire, parks, and libraries -; that our residents expect.
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