It would take a lot of Lego to build the huge new facility planned for Meadowville Technology Park’s latest high-profile tenant. The Lego Group, the world-renowned toy maker of brick-and-mortar assemblies, plans to invest $ 1 billion to build a U.S. manufacturing plant at Chesterfield Industrial Park, Governor Glenn Youngkin announced Wednesday morning at an event in Virginia Museum of Science. The 1.7 million square foot facility is expected to create more than 1,760 jobs over time. Lego plans to proceed with the project this year and complete construction in 2025, the same year is expected to begin production at the factory. The Chesterfield plant, which will handle Lego brick production and packaging, will be the seventh Lego plant in the world and the second largest in North America. The other is in Mexico. A performance of the exterior of the factory that Lego Group plans to build. The company’s investment in the Chesterfield plant is scheduled to take place over a period of 10 years. The Lego Meadowville site will also have an on-site solar farm designed to handle the energy needed to power the plant. The Chesterfield plant is expected to work towards achieving its stated employment target over a 10-year period, according to a press release. The company plans to hire 500 employees to operate a temporary packaging plant that will open in early 2024. Chesterfield officials said they had not been told who was competing for the project and the project has been underway for about seven months. Chesterfield Economic Development Director Gareth Hart said Medoville’s existing infrastructure and available land made Chesterfield competitive in the process. “It’s important to have ready-made sites. “These guys were just looking at people who could start this year and Meadowville has water and sewer and roads,” Hart said. The Lego Group has 380 acres under contract in Meadowville Technology Park, where it plans to build its second plant in North America. The other factory is located in Mexico. (Image courtesy of Chesterfield Economic Development) The Lego plant will occupy an area of 340 acres in Meadowville that the company has under contract. The site is located at the north end of the park just east of Interstate 295 and is currently owned by the Chesterfield Economic Development Authority. The sale is expected to be completed by the end of the summer. Both Lego and Chesterfield have refused to share the amount the company is expected to pay for the land. The complex consists of several parcels with a total value of at least $ 22 million, according to online property records in Chesterfield. Some plots cross the southern boundary of future Lego property on Meadowville Road, obscuring the exact estimated value of the land the company intends to purchase. Lego attracted Virginia because of factors such as its workforce and transportation infrastructure, President and CEO Niels Christiansen said in remarks during the event. He said the growing demand for Lego kits has spurred interest in increasing the company’s manufacturing capacity. Governor Glenn Youngkin announced Wednesday that toy company Lego Group plans to build a production facility in Chesterfield County. (photo by Jack Jacobs) In addition to Youngkin and Christiansen, Virginia Commerce and Commerce Secretary Caren Merrick, Chesterfield’s Board of Supervisors Chris Winslow, Danish Ambassador to the United States Lone Dencker Wisborg and Lego Carsten Rasmussen COO also shared comments. event. The Danish-based company has about 2,600 US employees and is headquartered in Connecticut, USA. The company operates 100 Lego stores in the United States. Chesterfield partnered with the Greater Richmond Partnership, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, and the Major Employment and Investment Project Approval Commission of the General Assembly to prepare the project, according to a statement from the county’s economic development department. Lego will be eligible for a $ 56 million performance grant from MEI. Lego representatives did not answer a question about who will be the architect and general contractor of the project.
