JANESVILLE, Wis. (AP) - Construction crews are beginning demolition work at the former General Motors plant in southern Wisconsin.
Workers finished asbestos abatement and waste removal in the main assembly building last week, according to Janesville officials. Crews will next work on demolishing the exterior walls, the Wisconsin Public Radio reported.
“It’s an 18- to 24-month demolition period to remove the plant, remove the foundation,” said Gale Price, Janesville’s economic development director. “(Those are) all incremental steps into achieving the ultimate goal, which is redevelopment of the site that can have new buildings on it.”
St. Louis-based Commercial Development Company purchased the property last year for redevelopment. The company is still creating a site plan.
The area will likely be used by a heavier manufacturer because of its connections to multiple rails, Price said.
“That is a real asset that we believe will help us land a heavier manufacturer to the site, somebody that needs either rail service in to bring in raw materials, or rail service out to ship off finished products,” he said.
The public will be able to comment on the land’s future use, Janesville officials said.
The plant’s assets will be auctioned next week.
The 4.8-million-square-foot (446,000-square-meter) facility once employed thousands of autoworkers. The plant shuttered operations in 2008.
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Information from: Wisconsin Public Radio, http://www.wpr.org
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