General Motors is considering the former Palace of Auburn Hills in suburban Detroit site for a large space for suppliers, according to Crain’s Detroit Business, an affiliate of Automotive News.
GM would not confirm on Thursday evening it was looking at the centrally located 110-acre property that used to house the Detroit Pistons, but did say it was considering Auburn Hills, along with other “multiple locations for a supplier park to support its Orion Assembly Plant, which will be expanded to produce electric pickup trucks.”
But a source requesting anonymity and briefed on the matter told Crain’s that GM was looking at the Palace site.
Auburn Hills Mayor Kevin McDaniel said no plans have been submitted to the city to redevelop the site.
The Orion Assembly Plant is at 4555 Giddings Rd., and consists of 4.3 million square feet on 433 acres, currently producing Chevy Bolt EV and EUV, and Cruise AV. The official plant website says it is “positioning itself to support GM’s goal to bring 30 new EVs to market globally by 2025.”
A location for the GM supplier park has not yet been determined, but it could be north of 1 million square feet, sources have said.
Messages have been left with top executives of Livonia-based Schostak Bros. & Co. and the Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores, which co-own the site that paid $22 million for it in 2019.
Demolition on the Palace, where the Pistons played from 1988 to 2017 before moving to Little Caesars Arena, began that year.
