Wixom's industrial south side is on deck for a major upgrade, as local auto supplier Quality Engineering lines up a new headquarters and operations complex inside the Wixom Logistics Park.
The plan calls for an approximately 85,500-square-foot building that would fold together about 7,100 square feet of office space with roughly 78,400 square feet of warehouse space. The project site is an 8.28-acre parcel at 29837 S. Wixom Road, and company filings with the city describe the proposal as an amendment to a previously approved building in the logistics park.
The investment is pegged at about $13.4 million, according to reporting from Crain's Detroit Business, which first published details of the project today.
Quality Engineering currently lists its headquarters at 30194 S. Wixom Road and says it has been in business for more than 38 years, with substantial warehousing capacity. The company describes itself as an automotive supplier and highlights past supplier awards, according to Quality Engineering.
Plans and approvals
The City of Wixom planning commission agenda lists application SPR26-003 for site-plan review of an 85,500-square-foot headquarters and operations facility, with a 7,094-square-foot office component and a 78,406-square-foot warehouse. The filing is treated as an amendment to the previously approved GPUD plan for the Wixom Logistics Park, on the site formerly labeled "Building E."
Alongside the site plan, the City Council scheduled a public hearing for last Tuesday to consider establishing an Industrial Development District and issuing an Industrial Facilities Tax Exemption Certificate for the project, as outlined in a public notice from the City of Wixom.
Property details
Commercial records identify the property as APN/Parcel ID 22-06-400-030, an 8.28-acre lot at 29837 S. Wixom Road. LoopNet pulls county tax data and lists the parcel as industrial acreage within the broader Wixom Logistics Park.
How tax abatements work
Quality Engineering has asked the city for relief under Michigan's Public Act 198. That law lets local governments create industrial development districts and issue Industrial Facilities Exemption Certificates that reduce ad valorem property taxes for a set period.
The Michigan Department of Treasury explains that these certificates are granted locally and can last for up to 12 years under state rules. In practical terms, that can shave a notable amount off a project's tax bill, which is often a make-or-break factor for industrial buildouts.
What is next
The proposal still has to clear site-plan review and the City Council's decision on the tax exemption before any construction permits are issued. If the council signs off on both the Industrial Facilities Exemption Certificate and the site plan, the company would move into permitting and build-out. If the approvals do not come through, Quality Engineering's plan could be delayed or sent back to the drawing board.
