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By Heart of Illinois ABC
NORMAL – Rivian is a step closer to making its biggest expansion yet at the factory in northwest Normal.
The town’s planning commission on Thursday unanimously supported Rivian’s amended site plan for building a 623,000 square foot addition, to be located on the west side of the current electric vehicle plant.
The town government has approved several smaller building additions since the summer of 2020. The latest addition would boost the total size of Rivian’s facility in Normal to about 3.9 million square feet, town staffers said.
A Rivian spokesperson released a statement about its expansion plans.
“Rivian’s focus on continued vertical integration requires more production space inside the plant,” said Kenya Friend-Daniel, Rivian’s senior manager in corporate communications.
“This expansion is a planned increase of our footprint in Normal as we continue to invest in the facility and ramp up production,” Friend-Daniel also said.
The Normal Town Council will vote on Rivian’s expansion plans November 15.
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