Car czar comes bearing cash
St. Louis Globe Democrat
February 16, 2010
By Steve Birmingham
The feds are coming to Fenton Thursday and they're bearing funds.
United States "Car Czar" Ed Montgomery and federal officials will be at the Chrysler assembly plants in Fenton Thursday (Feb. 18) to announce their approval of a $1.6 million grant to re-use the shuttered auto assembly plant.
The grant was applied for by the City of Fenton, the St. Louis County Economic Council and the state of Missouri in December, 2009, Fenton Mayor Dennis Hancock said. The money will be used to start the process to market the site, Hancock said.
"We found out last week our grant was approved," Hancock said. "Initially our plan is to use part of the grant to fund two phases of environmental studies that will need to be done regardless of who does what to the site."
"The studies will let somebody know that there's nothing here they need to worry about, or if there is, then they'll know what it's going to take to clean it up."
The plants were shut down as part of Chrysler's Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. The North Assembly Plant closed in 2009 and manufactured the Dodge Ram 1500 and 2500 standard and Quad cab pickup trucks and the RamBox option. Production of those trucks moved to the Warren, Mich., truck assembly plant.
The South assembly plant was closed in 2008 and manufactured the Dodge Caravan, Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country minivans.
Montgomery and members of the U.S. Commerce Department are scheduled to be at the South Assembly plant at 1 p.m.
"It's nice to have some good news about that site for a change," Hancock said.
"It's been a while and I think it's the kick off to a new beginning for that property."
