There is a noticeable change in the landscape at the PowerCo site in St. Thomas. After years of groundwork, physical building structures can now be seen across the 350-acre site. The company released video Thursday along with a statement saying the project has moved into vertical construction. The milestone follows critical structural work under what the company described as challenging weather conditions prior to the holidays. PowerCo says so far, hundreds of local tradespeople have worked on the project. With an expected opening date of 2027, the $7-billion manufacturing facility will produce batteries for Volkswagen electric vehicles, employing up to 3,000 skilled workers.