Former London mayor Joe Fontana, hired as a consultant on the Kellogg's plant redevelopment project, shares details of auction items and future plans.
Next week's auction is being considered the kickoff for a redevelopment plan that one day could replace many of the jobs lost when the cereal-maker closed.
Fontana says the plan is to redevelop the property into a job-creating hub for several smaller industries and businesses. And it’s not the first time Fontana has set himself a bold target for job creation.
Fontana gave CTV News a guided tour of the former Kellogg’s plant in east London before next week's international auction.
As a consultant hired by the building's new owners, Bayshore Group, Fontana showed just a sample of the thousands of industrial items going on the block Aug. 18th to 2th.
Fontana says buyers will come for everything from forklifts to small nuts and bolts. That’s because Kellogg’s essentially left everything behind.
Fontana says the auction is the starting point for the building's rebirth, claiming there have already been discussions with the city planning department and the London Economic Development Corporation about the future of the site.
According to Fontana, “It’s not about to be demolished, it’s about to be rebuilt as a hub for new jobs, new opportunities, and new families to live around here.”
The former mayor hopes some of the buyers at the auction choose to keep the equipment, including a packaging line, in place, and relocate their operations to the vacant building.
There have also been discussions with a wide range of possible tenants interested in subdividing space.
The new owners point to railway access, ceilings that reach several stories high, and modern office space as attractions.
There is also a power plant and numerous fiber optic connections.
The owners may also consider some residential space and even a possible stop on the city's rapid transit line, which will run down Dundas Street.
Fontana is optimistic about a quick transformation, “I can envision in the next two to three years at least 500 people working here in various forms. Whether it’s offices, new businesses, manufacturing, logistics, cold-storage."
In the meantime Fontana says about 50 temporary jobs will be available at a job fair this Thursday.
They're hoping to find local labour and even former employees to help disassemble and remove items sold at the auction.
Millwrights, electricians, forklift operators, welders, and general labourers can all apply with resumes on Thursday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the former Kellogg's building.
