Defense contractor Williams International Co. LLC wants to invest more than $300 million over the next five years into two abandoned Pontiac sites, should the company receive the tax exemption they’re currently seeking from the city.
Williams International is looking to purchase the Michigan Motion Picture Studios LLC movie building, located at 1999 Centerpoint Parkway, to transform it into a state-of-the-art aerospace headquarters and manufacturing facility.
The Commerce Township-based company develops small gas turbine engines for cruise missiles, planes and drones and stated through a memorandum that it would bring 900 jobs to Pontiac by 2022 with 500 of those coming from Commerce Township by 2018.
At a recent Pontiac City Council meeting, it was also stated that the company is looking to purchase an old General Motors site at 2100 Opdyke Road in Pontiac.
A public hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 22 at Pontiac City Hall to discuss the proposed Plant Rehabilitation District for 1999 Centerpoint, which under public act 198 of 1974, says that a qualified facility can receive a tax exemption on real and/or personal property taxes for one to 12 years. The company’s request for the district did not include a proposed timeline for the exemption, but did say that at least 50 percent of the property is currently obsolete.
Some of the issues mentioned to justify the district include:
• The existing facilities were constructed for movie production use.
• The facilities will require substantial investment to retrofit them for manufacturing use.
• The state has eliminated the film credits that financed the use of the property.
• The buildings have been vacant for several years.
The new Pontiac location would replace the Commerce Township operations. The move would help Williams meet its current and anticipated business growth in both its military and commercial operations, the memorandum stated.
