AIDT breaks ground on electric vehicle facility to usher in future of automotive manufacturing

Goodwyn Mills Cawood has worked with Alabama Industrial Development Training (AIDT) on all three phases of its Robotics Technology Park. Now, the design team is working on the fourth phase, an electric vehicle technology center. The facility broke ground on October 9, 2024 and is estimated to cost $30 million, with the goal of helping to fill 11,000 jobs in the auto industry throughout Alabama.

The RTP has had a hand in making Alabama a nationwide leader in automotive manufacturing, and the new 40,000-square-foot electric vehicle facility is no different. The design team has plans to create the space to be flexible to accommodate the current and future needs of the always-evolving electric vehicle industry.   

Alabama’s Department of Commerce recently announced its strategic plan to continue to propel the state’s economic development, with this new facility being a key component. The EV facility will train students and industry leaders to meet the everchanging demands of the automotive industry, equipping them with the skills needed for electric vehicle production and other emerging technologies.

The Alabama RTP has a rich history in the manufacturing industry of Alabama. Nearly 20 years ago the RTP started construction on its first building. Since then, three have emerged giving college students and others essential training on a larger scale.

Building one was developed to host robotics training that works with the Alabama Community College System and more. The 60,000-square-foot, two-story building includes administrative offices, classrooms, lecture spaces, observation mezzanine, a welding and fabrication shop and associated support functions. Additionally, GMC helped with an extension of the building that now allows for a larger loading dock.

Building two is a 39,250-square-foot development and testing facility geared toward private industry and military organizations. This facility has the capacity to accommodate testing for anything from Mars Rovers for NASA, to unmanned Hummers and bomb-detecting tanks for the U.S. Military. It also has a test track that was used to test unmanned military vehicles and unmanned drones. Now, the second facility is used by multiple different industries including American Welding Society, which hosts the Weld Trials for WorldSkills welding competition.

Building three is a 50,000-square-foot training facility designed to accommodate paint and coatings trainings, with a focus on robotic painting. Currently, the LEED Silver Certified building is split in half, with one side serving college students and the other providing space for corporations to come in and host safety trainings for their employees.

For the first three buildings, GMC provided architecture and engineering from conceptual design through construction documents and construction administration.

For the electric vehicle technology center, GMC will be providing architecture, civil engineering, geotechnical engineering and landscape architecture with the facility. Consolidated Construction Company of Alabama is the general contractor for the new building being set to be complete in December of 2025.