FY 2013 Popular Annual Financial Report FY 2013 Popular Annual Financial Report | Page 12
Economic
Development
T
he Office of Economic
Development keeps an eye
out for smart long-term
investments, and creates and nurtures
an environment that makes Arlington
attractive to new business while
retaining current companies, and
looks for opportunities to capitalize on
newly revitalized parts of the City. In
FY 2013, businesses large and small
continued to gravitate to Arlington.
General Motors Keeps on Trucking
Last fall, General Motors unveiled a
new $200 million stamping facility, part
of an overall $530 million investment
the company has made in the City.
The facility features 1.5-million pound
presses that transform flat sheets of
metal into vehicle body panel parts,
such as doors, hoods, fenders and side
panels. Previously, those parts were
stamped at plants in the Midwest and
shipped to Arlington. To operate the
three presses, the plant hired about
200 new workers, bringing the total
number of workers in Arlington to
more than 4,500. The plant, which
produces more than 1,200 vehicles a
12
day, is the lone source for Chevrolet
Tahoes, Suburbans, GMC Yukons and
Cadillac Escalades. The Arlington plant
produces 260,000 to 270,000 sport
utility vehicles every year.
Viridian Continues to Thrive
The Viridian master-planned
community in North Arlington already
has 130 homes built and will eventually
have more than 3,000, including some
luxury and estate homes with prices of
up to $2-3 million. Additional plans for
the community include a state-of-theart school in the Hurst-Euless-Bedford
ISD, which is under construction and
scheduled to open in the fall of 2014.
The resort pool complex and youth
sailing center will also open in 2014.
Discussions with potential tenants
for an office, retail and restaurant
development are under way.
Investments in Large Developments
Paying Off
The Rangers Ballpark in Arlington,
now Globe Life Ballpark, was paid
off in 10 years. It continues to have a
significant economic impact on the