Delaware-based real-estate developer Harvey Hanna is buying the vacant former GM Boxwood plant in Newport for redevelopment.
The Boxwood road plant was built in 1946 and served as a General Motors assembly plant until it closed in 2009. It was slated to find new life making hybrid electric cars for Fisker, but that company’s bankruptcy scuttled those plans and the property has been inactive ever since.
Delaware Chamber of Commerce President Rich Heffron says permanent plans for the 3 million square feet of manufacturing space have yet to be announced.
“Exactly what they will do with the site we don’t know, but obviously it will be developed—either as a commercial site, or maybe some type of mixed use. The site has been abandoned for a number of years, and it’s a valuable site. It has railroad frontage; it has major highway frontage,” said Heffron.
Harvey Hanna officials released a statement promising the redevelopment will create thousands of construction jobs and provide thousands more permanent positions upon completion.
“They’ve had very successful ventures both down along the Delaware River around the Delaware Memorial Bridge area, and also in Sussex County. So this is good. It’s being bought by a local company that understands Delaware,” said Heffron.
Chinese auto parts manufacturer Wanxiang, which acquired the the Boxwood plant from Fisker, is selling it to Harvey Hanna for an undisclosed amount.
