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GM to Begin Construction on New Facility

Construction crews are scheduled to begin prepping the site by March with an eye on having the project completed by August 2014.

 

The Chevy Colorado may not be coming off a Wentzville assembly line until 2014, but construction crews are expected to begin moving dirt in anticipation of the new General Motors facility in March, city officials say.

Barring any setbacks, construction on the new GM building should begin in June.

That means jobs are likely on the way for Wentzville workers.

Larry Tucker, the city's manager of marketing and business development, said if all goes to plan, GM could be creating the new Chevrolet Colorado by August 2014.

The plant lost its second shift in 2009 and didn't have a product guarantee beyond 2012. But in November, GM announced it would add a second shift on its van line and be the home of the Chevrolet Colorado mid-size pickup truck.

Then, officials from General Motors and the United Auto Workers announced an investment of $380 million in the Wentzville plant and the addition of 1,260 new jobs to build the Colorado. Those jobs will likely come online in 2013, once the expansion of facility is complete.

The second shift on the Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana full-size van lines, which will include over 400 additional workers, begins running Jan. 3, 2012.

The Wentzville plant currently employs about 1,400 people.

Tucker said when all is said and done, GM will employ roughly 3,000 local employees.

The City of Wentzville approved the use of Chapter 100 bonds in September 2011 for the plant addition, which allow GM to abate some of the costs of the expansion.

For more of the latest news on GM and Wentzville, check out these related stories:

Related Topics: Auto Industry, Chevy Colorado, General Motors, Larry Tucker, News, Patch, and Wentzville

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