WARREN, Mich. (WXYZ) — The General Motors Transmission Plant in Warren stopped production in 2019 and was used to make face masks in 2020.
So, with no other plans for the property on the horizon, Warren city leaders are calling the proposed redevelopment project a win for locals.
“It’s going to turn a somewhat blighted area, a vacant property that’s not generating taxes. It’s not employing anyone, and it’s going to infuse $180 million into a new development in this project," Warren Mayor Jim Fouts told 7 Action News.
He said the plan is to knock down and turn the defunct plant on Mound Road near 9 Mile Road into either a commercial or manufacturing operation and create 600 jobs that pay $15 and up an hour.
The future employers haven’t been revealed yet. But NorthPointe Development out of Kansas City, Missouri is the developer planning to bring the corner to life.
“This is important because it’s in southern Warren, the older section, which begs for new development,” Fouts said.
Of the $180 million, more than $28 million will be used to clean up the property with the use of brownfield tax credits from the state.
The other $152 million will be used for construction.
7 Action News spoke with Warren City Council President Patrick Green who says he wants to make sure local labor is hired through local unions.
“If we’re going to be participating as a municipality and as a state with the brownfield tax credits that this company’s going to be eligible for, (the desire is) that those dollars stay here in Warren, and they are being used to pay for the wages of the trades that are going to be developing that site,” Green said.
Green says it’s key that the council also makes sure it’s a sustainable long-term project.
“I’ve spoken with a couple of the members and we all have spoken with the developer. A few of us have spoken with the developer and we’ve asked a couple questions. But we look forward to the public hearing tonight," he explained.
"It's very important. That’s why we have public hearings to have the public chime in on it, and we take their input into consideration," Green added.
The public hearing on the resolution and brownfield plan is scheduled for Tuesday at 7 p.m.
