Anderson – Anderson Mayor Kevin S. Smith joined longtime Anderson business woman, Autoworld President Mary Jamerson, and other company representatives Friday, Nov. 9 to announce plans to relocate both  Myers and Ford Autoworld dealerships from North Broadway to the former GM Plant 11 site located on the Westside of Scatterfield Road just north of 38th Street.  

In addition, Ivy Tech Community College President Tom Snyder and other College representatives were present to acknowledge Autoworld’s plans to donate its current Ford Autoworld dealership on North Broadway in Anderson to Ivy Tech to accommodate a future Automotive Institute.  The college currently offers its Automotive Technology program to more than 1,500 students statewide via 10 automotive facilities.  The addition of this 28,000 square foot facility brings Ivy Tech’s total automotive training square footage to over 153,000.

The announcement took place at Ford Autoworld Showroom, 2721 North Broadway, Anderson.

Autoworld anticipates investing $7.5 million and creating 30 new jobs at the Scatterfield location.  

The former GM Plant 11 was demolished during Mayor Smith’s first term in 2007 and has sat vacant ever since. The property, now controlled by the Anderson Redevelopment Commission (ARC), will be purchased by Autoworld and become the home of a new General Motors Dealership, a new Ford Motor Company dealership, and forward planning includes a third dealership to possibly be added  in the future.

“Mary Jamerson’s investment in a Brownfield property is a positive event for Anderson. The relocation of the dealership allows us to reinvest in vacant factory ground, new roads, water lines, and sewer. Ultimately to attract business growth to the area,” says Mayor Smith.

Myers and Ford Autoworld’s relocation with new ultra-modern facilities will spark revitalization in a district of the city that has remained empty for six years. The new Autoworld facilities will place the former Plant 11 site back on the tax roll, be a major traffic generator, increase significantly new capital investment, and enhance opportunities for business operations in the area.

The new development will also kick-off Anderson’s first Community Revitalization Enhancement District (CRED) investment, enabling the city to begin capturing State Retail Sales Tax revenue and other future State Tax dollars to be used to redevelop the remaining vacant or underused former GM sites along Scatterfield Road.

"We are thrilled with the dynamics of these plans that allow us to honor our company tradition of helping to build a better community for all.  While our future Scatterfield Road site and facilities will strengthen economic development for the City, the donation of our current North Broadway site for an Ivy Tech Automotive Institute will expand education opportunities for many,” Jamerson said.  “We are grateful for the honor to work with Mayor Smith, Ivy Tech President Snyder, and their dedicated teams to execute these progressive plans in our community.”

Ivy Tech will partner with Auto World and the city of Anderson to fund a world class Automotive Technology facility that will prepare the automotive technicians of tomorrow.

“We look forward to partnering with the community to provide a training facility that will create the workforce that is needed for the future,” Snyder said.  “We thank Mary Jamerson and the city of Anderson for recognizing a need and calling on Ivy Tech Community College to be part of the solution.  Together we will partner to raise local funds to convert this facility into a state of the art training location.”