Delaware Business Blog

Fisker Automotive chooses Mitchell Associates to redesign former GM Boxwood Road Plant

Mitchell Associates, a full-service architectural design and project-management firm based in Wilmington, just announced that Fisker Automotive has awarded them the contract to create a master plan for the architectural redesign of the former General Motors Assembly Plant site on Boxwood Road in Newport. The first phase will target the administration building; exterior identity renovation of several of the perimeter buildings in the extensive plant complex will follow.

Fisker Automotive is an American car company committed to producing electric vehicles with extended range (EVer) that deliver uncompromised responsible luxury. The Fisker Karma is the world’s first premium electric plug-in hybrid that represents the company’s firm belief that environmentally conscious cars need not sacrifice passion, style, or performance.

The Fisker N-Series electric vehicle with extended range (EVer) will move into production in the former GM plant late 2012. The first production N-Series car is a family oriented premium sedan.

Mitchell Associates’ broad-based master plan for the Fisker Automotive project will include interior space planning and office fit-out for a large number of employees; it will also address the building’s mechanical, electrical and plumbing needs, and the design of specialized systems, if required.

Mitchell Associates principal Lou Rosenberg notes that the team assembled for the re-birth of the Boxwood Road plant will provide the full scope of services, from needs assessment to design and execution of the renovations. In addition to Mitchell Associates designers, architects and project managers, the team includes Delaware Engineering and Design Corporation of Newark and a Grounds and Landscaping group from the University of Delaware. He adds that any changes to the exterior of the circa-1945 administration building, credited to Michigan architect Albert Kahn, will respect the architectural integrity of the original structure. “Inspiration for the facelift to the entrance and cornerstones of the site will come from Kahn’s design,” says Rosenberg.

Fisker representative Jeff Garland noted that the short list of design firms considered for the project were all Delaware based. “Being an American Car Company and supporter of local communities, Fisker wanted to keep jobs in Delaware.”

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