Developers breathe new life into former Ford plant

WALTON HILLS, Ohio (WOIO) - There are some big plans for a now empty Ford plant.

After sitting vacant for years, the massive, 100-acre site is on its way to bringing hundreds of jobs to the area.

“It’s a very big deal to all of us,” said Walton Hills Mayor Don Kolograf.

The site that once employed nearly 4,000 employees will soon have workers bustling again.

The former Ford stamping plant in Walton Hills has sat vacant since 2015.

With two million square feet of property to offer, the community has been waiting for it to be re-purposed.

“Every day somebody’s asking, what’s going on with the former Ford plant?” said Mayor Kolograf. “What are you doing?”

Now, Mayor Kolograf says the wait is over.

Three developers bought the property in December of 2021.

They’ve demolished most of the site. In its place will be five industrial buildings, one of which is in its beginning phases.

“These buildings are pretty much designed for multi-tenant, industrial-type buildings,” said Mayor Kolograf.

It’s still up in the air who those tenants will be.

No one has signed the dotted line, but Mayor Kolograf says the developers are well aware of the impact this project could have.

“They understand we’d like to have the highest paying jobs there and a lot of employees,” said Mayor Kolograf.

The first building is set to be complete in Spring of 2023.

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