Wilmington, DE – Governor Markell and state legislators today expressed support for job creation and economic development efforts at the site of the former General Motors manufacturing facility near Wilmington following the announcement that CBRE Group, a global commercial real estate services firm, will begin soliciting bids for the redevelopment of the Boxwood Road facility on behalf of their client, Wanxiang America. The project aims to maximize the value of the site for future economic development opportunities.
In announcing the plans, CBRE noted that the site had a number of features which would make it attractive to a future buyer, including its proximity to major East Coast cities, access to major networks of road, rail, sea, and air transportation, Delaware’s high quality workforce and public education system, and the state’s responsive government.
“I will never forget walking into the Boxwood Road facility just hours after the workers there got the news from GM that the plant would close down,” said Governor Markell. “I look forward to this redevelopment project, and hope it will ensure a brighter future for the site.”
“Like so many in my district, I fondly remember the glory days of the Boxwood Plant and I’ll be sad to see it torn down,” said Senator Patricia Blevins (D-Elsmere). “Its closure was tough for Delaware because of the job losses that came with it and because it represented a significant shift in the American economy. That shift continues with the acquisition of the facility and corresponding plans to redevelop it, which I’m confident will lead to extraordinary new job opportunities that simply don’t exist there today. Like with the STAR Campus in Newark, tech-focused redevelopment plans have the opportunity to propel our state forward and make us a regional leader in the 21st Century economy.”
“While we ideally would have loved to see vehicles rolling off the assembly line again, this is great news and an indication that we are on the path to having a facility employing Delaware workers on that site once again,” said Rep. Larry Mitchell, whose district includes the former Boxwood plant. “I am looking forward to more positive developments and seeing a new business rise from the ground.”