Auburn/Opelika developments

[ATLman1]

Since Auburn/Opelika is right across the river from Columbus, I will post some of the new development going on in the area.

Opelika-Auburn News broke ground Wednesday on a new 40,000-square-foot production and office facility that will give the newspaper a state-of-the-art new home. The new facility will consist of two buildings joined by an open mall area. Each building will be about 20,000 square feet. The new $14 million dollar building will be open by October 2006.

[ATLman1]

Another retail center is planned for Auburn. The retail center will be between 300,000 and 400,000 sq. ft. A Sam's Club will be one of the anchor stores.

[ATLman1]

East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika is building a major addition to the hospital. The Opelika hospital is adding four floors and new surgical suites. The building will now have 9 floors. The project is a $42 million expansion. The expansion is adding 108 beds for a total of 150,000 square feet. Also, outside of the main building will be a two-story ICU center.

[ATLman1]

A $2 million expansion and 18 new jobs, that's what Janson Seals and Sleeves is promising as the France based company announces the expansion of it's Opelika plant. Janson manufactures tamper proof packaging.

[ATLman1]

AU plan may add 1,600 beds

The first new on-campus housing built at Auburn in a generation could be ready for students to start moving in as early as August 2008.

Meeting in Montgomery last week, AU Trustees approved the hiring of Hoar Construction Co. to oversee the planning and development of new residence halls that could eventually add 1,600 beds and raise AU

[ATLman1]

Opelika hits it big!

Retirement Systems of Alabama (RSA) is about to add a third element to its Opelika crown jewel that already includes the Grand National golf complex and Marriott Hotel and Conference Center.

Tuesday night, the Opelika City Council endorsed an RSA plan to take 600 winding acres adjacent to the golf club and turn it into a

[ATLman1]

Cumberland Plastic Systems has announced plans to locate in Auburn. Cumberland Plastics is a solution provider in engineering, program management, injection molding, and assembly of plastic components for Mercedes, Hyundai, Honda, Nissan, Kia, and Toyota.

Construction on Cumberland

[ATLman1]

Two twin to the five-story condominium buildings have been approved by the Auburn City Council. The bottom floor will be commercial/retail and the four floors above will be condominiums.

[ATLman1]

Housing construction is boomimg in Auburn/Opelika. Here is the article from WRBL.com Housing Boom

[ATLman1]

Cool information on Lee County's commuting patterns from WRBL.com.

As big as it is, AU represents just a part of Lee County

[ATLman1]

Hotel confirmed near TigerTown

More projects expected across I-85

Dust clouds rolled Wednesday as earth-moving equipment continued to grade a parcel of land across from TigerTown on the east side of I-85, where a new Holiday Inn Express Hotel will soon take shape.

Another unnamed hotel and as many as six restaurants could also eventually occupy the site, as development spreads to the opposite side of the interstate along Gateway Drive.

It will be the second Holiday Inn Express in the area, with another one already in Auburn.

Completion of the new Holiday Inn Express Hotel is tentatively slated for 2007.

[ATLman1]

A Swedish manufacturer of innovative home healthcare products will soon join the growing ranks of new industrial employers moving to Lee County, promising to bring still more skilled jobs and good pay to a region that already leads the state in economic and wage growth.

Gambro Renal Products held official ground-breaking ceremonies Wednesday in Opelika

[ATLman1]

AUBURN - A Korean auto parts supplier has picked Auburn as the site for its first U.S. factory, which will create 200 jobs.

Global Management Business Automotive USA will build a $28.6 million plant to produce powertrain components for the Hyundai factory in Montgomery and supply a Kia factory planned for West Point, Ga.

The factory, expected to be completed by spring 2007, will be located at the Auburn Industrial Park near Shug Jordan Parkway.

[ATLman1]

Few new announcements:

A third phase of TigerTown is now under construction, with new buildings going up adjacent to Target that will house a Hobby Lobby arts and crafts store, Cost Plus World Market and eventually a new Kroger.

In Auburn, construction is expected to begin sometime this fall on a new retail center at the intersection of I-85 and Bent Creek Road that will house a 135,000-square-foot Sam

[ATLman1]

Opelika continues to grow:

New openings in the Auburn/Opelika:

1) At Tigertown: phase three of the 124-acre mixed-use development is under way and offers 433,610 square feet of retail space. Jersey Mike

[ATLman1]

The City of Auburn finalized a development agreement with Cylpro Automotive Products, which announced on Wednesday plans to locate its first U.S. manufacturing facility in Auburn - Cylpro Auburn Inc. Cylpro Automotive Products, with headquarters in Hengelo, Netherlands, supplies automotive solutions for carmakers such as Audi, Lamborghini and Mercedes Benz. Cylpro Auburn Inc. will occupy a 20,000-square-foot facility in the Auburn Industrial Park. Cylpro Auburn Inc. will initially create a capital investment of $3.7 million and 10 jobs.

[SkyDave]

Looks like another Opelika-Auburn coup!!! It is amazing how they are able to attract so many businesses to relocate there. I am impressed!!!!

[ATLman1]

Aluminum Technology Schmid to begin operations in Auburn:

Aluminum Technology Schmid Inc. announced plans to locate its first North American manufacturing operation in Auburn

[ATLman1]

The city of Auburn is getting a large federal grant to help expand the growing south side of the city.

A street that now dead-ends into an open field will soon be the gateway to new development in Auburn. The Federal Government has approved a $1.5 million dollar grant to help the city extend Veterans Boulevard and make way for a new technology park.

The city plans to build the new Technology Park West adjacent to the already-existing Technology Park North. It's a plan that will create 400-plus acres for new development. That should pave the way for more than 3,000 new jobs and $400 million dollars in private investments. City officials say new industries are already showing interest in setting up at the new park.

[ATLman1]

The new $50 million student center is currently under construction by Brasfield and Gorrie. Construction should be completed in two years, by fall 2008. The building will be three stories and 184,000 square feet.

A new 735 space parking deck opened near Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Other projects on Auburn's campus:

AU is in the process of designing a new information technology building to be built on the corner of Duncan and Lem Morrison. The corner also will house an office building. Bids will be accepted next spring, with construction starting next summer. It will be online in the summer of 2008.

AU wants to add onto the 4,000-square-foot Scott-Yarbrough House while maintaining its historic character. The university is looking for a historic preservation architect to advise on the expansion and restoration project.

Mouton

[ATLman1]

Port Washington, N.Y.-based Steve & Barry

[ATLman1]

Moe's Southwest Grill is opening its second location in the Auburn/Opelika area. The new location will be at the new Tigertown Shopping Center in Opelika.

[ATLman1]

Hoerbiger to expand in Auburn: A local industry continues to grow, doubling its employment.

Hoerbiger Automotive Comfort Systems is expanding its production capacity at its Auburn location on Enterprise Drive. Since Hoerbiger opened its doors in 2002, the company has created 60 new jobs in the Auburn industrial sector. The current expansion calls for an additional 60 jobs and a capital investment of several million dollars, bringing the total employment to 120 people.

[ATLman1]

Opelika

[ATLman1]

New Automotive Supplier to Bring 170 Jobs to Opelika

More jobs are on the horizon for Opelika. Daewon America LLC is an automotive supplier that will locate in the Northeast Opelika Industrial Park. The Opelika facility will be the company's first location in North America, and the plant will be a Tier One supplier to the nearby Kia and Hyundai manufacturing and assembly locations.

Daewon's 160,000 square-foot facility will occupy a 30-acre site in the industrial park that is located near I-85's Exit 66. The plant represents an initial investment of $30 million and is expected to employ more than 170 jobs when fully operational. Construction is expected to be complete by summer 2007.