BTO says the deal would include a $30 million financing package from Hillwood, which is the master developer of the former air base under an agreement with local officials, and $23 million in tax and training incentives from the state of California for creating manufacturing jobs.
The BTO facility would produce automobiles in what the company describes as a "lower-volume capability" by making customized cars that would be "individualized to customer specifications" rather than producing cars in anticipation of orders and keeping inventory on hand. The company also envisions its manufacturing plant as a retail sales center and a tourist attraction. It estimates the total economic impact on California could include 1,000 high-paying jobs.
If BTO starts making cars in San Bernardino, it will be the first time autos have been manufactured in Southern California since 1992, when the General Motors assembly plant in Van Nuys closed. That former plant site is now occupied by a shopping center and warehouse buildings.
Although BTO is considering a number of prospective sites for its manufacturing plant and has yet to decide where it will locate, the company says the San Bernardino site is "among the top candidates" for its facility. The company did not say when it will make its decision.
AllianceCalifornia is a distribution and transportation center that includes a new Kohl's department store warehouse that the retailer has built in anticipation of its move into California next year. AllianceCalifornia is modeled after Hillwood's 15,000-acre AllianceTexas development near Dallas, which includes more than 110 companies employing 20,000 workers.
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