Harvey Hanna & Associates, Inc. this week announced its exploratory plan for the redevelopment of the former General Motors plant at 801 Boxwood Road outside Wilmington.
The plan proposes turning the 142-acre property into a modern business, fulfillment and distribution campus that would serve as an economic engine for the region.
“As a Delaware-based firm with deep personal and professional roots in this area, Harvey Hanna knows first-hand the significance that the former General Motors plant property has to Wilmington and New Castle County,” said Thomas J. Hanna, president of Harvey Hanna & Associates. “These plans represent a critical first step in rebuilding this storied property into a modern distribution and business campus that can provide a critical source of jobs and serve as a new and lasting economic engine for the entire region.”
Harvey Hanna bought the property in 2017 with the goal of replacing the manufacturing plant with a mix of industrial and office space. The site’s proximity to the I-95 corridor and population centers in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland were part of the appeal.
“When Harvey Hanna purchased this site last year, we always knew our immediate goal was to modernize the former plant property and provide new jobs to the hardworking residents of Delaware,” said Hanna. “However, the resulting economic impact of this transformation also holds the potential to transform the greater Newport area, and position this area for success for decades to come.”
The plan calls for the complete demolition of the existing buildings and the construction of three million square feet of commercial space. It also proposes a residential development surrounding the SEPTA rail station in downtown Newport that would would encourage employees to live nearby.
Newport-based Apex Engineering, a civil engineering firm, contributed to the plan.
“Apex Engineering is thrilled to begin working on the regeneration of a property that was once one of the great economic drivers in this region,” said Steve Davies, president of Apex Engineering. “We take tremendous pride in this project and are honored to have the chance to play a role in its transformation into a state-of-the-art facility that can bring thousands of jobs back to New Castle County.”
