Flint to have groundbreaking for new business center, GM plant announcement Monday

State, local and federal officials on Monday will celebrate the groundbreaking for the first building at the new Flint Commerce Center at the former General Motors Co. Buick City campus, according to a press advisory sent Friday.

The event marks the official start of construction of the facility that’s slated for completion in early 2024.

It's been more than 20 years since the last GM car rolled off the assembly line at the Buick City plant, seen in 2009. A groundbreaking for a business center on part of the site is scheduled for Monday.

Developer Ashley Capital closed on the first 20 acres of the site earlier this year and is working with RACER Trust to acquire the rest of the site by the end of August. RACER was created by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court “to clean up and position for redevelopment properties and other facilities owned by the former General Motors Corp. before its 2009 bankruptcy,” according to the organization’s website.

GM closed the sprawling Buick City campus in 1999 after 92 years in operation and 15.8 million vehicles produced, CNN reported at the time. When it’s finished, the Flint Commerce Center is expected to generate total investment of $300 million for up to 10 buildings to create 3.5 million square feet of space and as many as 3,000 jobs.  

State officials, U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee of Flint Township, Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley, U.S. Rep. Cynthia Neeley of Flint, RACER Trust Administrative Trustee Elliott Laws, Mott Foundation President & CEO Ridgway White and Flint & Genesee Economic Alliance’s Tyler Rossmaessler are all on the attendance list for the event.

The groundbreaking takes place the same day GM is planning to make “a positive plant manufacturing announcement” at its Flint Assembly facility, according to a press advisory issued Thursday.

Details on the announcement haven’t been released. GM makes heavy-duty GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado trucks at the Flint facility.

GM’s Gerald Johnson, executive vice president of global manufacturing and sustainability, will attend the event with United Auto Workers Vice President Mike Booth, director of the union’s GM department, and UAW Local 598 representatives.