RICHMOND BIZSENSE- February 15, 2024
“Lego has tapped a local general contractor to help oversee construction of its massive manufacturing facility in Chesterfield.
The Danish toy giant confirmed that Richmond-based firm Hourigan will build the $1 billion factory complex through a joint venture with Kentucky-based contractor Gray.
Lego said it expects work to kick off later this year on the construction of what will eventually be 1.7 million square feet across 13 buildings in Meadowville Technology Park.
The Chesterfield campus will manufacture Lego bricks and package boxed sets, as well as be home to offices and warehouse facilities. The company plans to hire more than 1,760 employees for its Chesterfield plant over a 10-year period.
The news of the contractor selections came as Lego also announced a delay in the anticipated start of production at the facility. The company previously said it expected to get the plant up and running in 2025 but now expects production to begin in 2027.
Factors that contributed to the change in timeline included reassessment of the project’s design and ramp-up plans in the courses of nailing down its agreement with the general contractors.
Hourigan, run by namesake Mark Hourigan, declined to comment for this article and referred questions about the project to Lego.
The Chesterfield facility is expected to be Lego’s second plant in North America, adding to one in Mexico. Lego plans to have a total of seven factories worldwide with the arrival of the Meadowville plant.
Initial work on pad-site infrastructure was already underway on the 340-acre site that will be home to the factory, following a ceremonial groundbreaking ceremony in April 2023.
Lego said the newly announced general contractors will oversee continued site work this year ahead of the construction of the plant’s buildings, slated to start later in 2024.
“We are pleased with the progress we’re making with our investment in Virginia and grateful for the continued support from the local community,” Lego COO Carsten Rasmussen said in a prepared statement. “We are looking forward to partnering with Gray|Hourigan to commence construction work and retain the good momentum we’re seeing across the site.”
Timmons Group is the project’s engineer.
Danish companies COWI and Arkitema Architects were selected to create the project’s master plan and schematic design. North Carolina-based LS3P Associates was tapped to handle construction drawings.”
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