ARLINGTON -- So what will $530 million buy at the General Motors plant?
To start with, 200,000 cubic yards of dirt excavation, about 20,000 cubic yards of concrete, 1,700 tons of steel rebar and 2,600 tons of structural steel.
Also, a lot of new automated manufacturing machinery as GM expands its Arlington truck assembly plant for production of a new line of sport utility vehicles that will go into production in the second half of 2013.
It's the price GM is paying to remain the dominant maker of large SUVs.
Construction on the combined body shop and sheet metal parts stamping facility is about 30 percent complete, GM officials say. The new body space, about 168,000 square feet, has all been enclosed. The steel skeleton is largely in place for the stamping plant, which sits on the northwest corner of the plant site and adjoins the body shop.