HK unveils possible autoplant designs

BAY MINETTE, Ala. (WALA) - The company that designed the Mercedes Benz plant in North Alabama is designing a proposed plant in Bay Minette. Tuesday, the German company released its architectural plans for the site.

HK Motors leaders will choose from three design layouts to house their automobile manufacturing plant.

Each design is different in how it will impact the environment, such as drainage and transportation, but leaders maintain each one will cost about the same.

German company Kohlbecker Architects is the firm that designed the plans. This is not the company's first U.S. auto plant.

They are responsible for designing the Mercedes Benz expansion in Tuscaloosa, the Kia Plant in Georgia, and the BMW Expansion in South Carolina.

"So here we are, trying to build a nice plant for HK Motors and develop the area. We will provide the architectural and engineering scope," said Alexandra Segers.

HK Motors leaders said they are moving forward with their plans, and this is evidence of that. However, local leaders say people in the county want to see one thing: more jobs.

Robert Ingram with the Baldwin County Economic Alliance said the company is still a while off from hiring their first employee, but he said the wait could be worth it.

"This gives us a large high-paying anchor on the north end, which we will be hiring people not just from Baldwin County," said Ingram. "It's going to help the entire region and state."

Leaders hope to have a final decision on which design they will choose by April.

HK Motors wants to build the auto plant off I-65 in Bay Minette. But there's one big stumbling block that hasn't been cleared: the financing for the plant.

In order for the state to offer any incentives, HK has to come up with a sizable portion of $1.5 billion.

The company said it will approach Chinese investors. So far, there's no word on how much money they've actually raised.