Former GM Plant Celebrates Ribbon Cutting As Part Of Tinker Aerospace Complex

August 18, 2009 -- The former General Motors Assembly Plant in Oklahoma City is officially part of the Tinker Aerospace Complex following a ribbon cutting ceremony held by federal and state officials, including the Oklahoma Department of Commerce.

The former plant will house workers repairing and maintaining engines from Air Force and Navy aircraft such as the TF33 and the F-117. The facility will house operations for the 76th Maintenance Wing and other defense missions.

The 76th Maintenance Wing also plans to hire 500 new employees because of an increased workload at the expanded facility.

About 100 employees work in the building now and about 800 will be housed there by the end of the year.

The aerospace complex sits on 407 acres, which include six industrial buildings and one office building. There is almost 4 million square feet of usable space, 2.5 million of which is taken up by the complex.

From Automobiles to Airplanes

The transformation of Oklahoma City's former GM plant came quickly.

In 2008, Oklahoma County voters approved a $55 million bond issue to buy the property and lease it back to the Air Force for $1 a year in exchange for retrofitting the plant and using it to replace aging maintenance buildings.

The Air Force has spent nearly $22 million on renovations since obtaining the plant.

Located in the center of Oklahoma, Tinker AFB employs 26,000 people and accounts for $2 billion in state revenue.

Oklahoma's benefits from repurposing a former GM plant include:

• Recoup lost jobs; 
• Repurpose major infrastructure; 
• Increase growth of the state's aerospace industry;  
• Bring new business opportunities for the private sector.