City of Regina accepting proposals to redevelop historic GM plant

Men working on vehicles in the General Motors assembly line in Regina. The plant originally opened in 1927. (Source: Saskatchewan Archives Board)

The City of Regina is hoping to attract businesses to redevelop the historic General Motors Corporation factory in the city’s warehouse district.

The City made the announcement Tuesday afternoon, calling on “qualified firms and individuals” interested in purchasing or redeveloping the facility to submit a proposal.

“The City is excited to make this opportunity available to private developers. We are eager to see this site return to active use in the community,” Chad Jedlic, director of land, real estate and economic development, said in a news release.

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Interested parties are encouraged to contact [e-mail] for more information.

Located at 1250 Winnipeg Street, the 300,000 square-foot building is currently vacant and not fit for occupancy.

The plant is located to the north of the GMC office building at 1102 8th Avenue. The privately-owned office building is listed in the city’s heritage property inventory, while the city-owned factory is not.

Originally opened in 1927 as an assembly plant for General Motors, the facility’s first cars rolled off the assembly line in December of 1928.

According to records from the Saskatchewan Archives Board, the first all-Canadian-made Chevrolet with a six-cylinder motor was assembled at the plant.

At the height of production, the plant employed 850 workers and had an output of 150 cars a day. Closed in 1931 due to the stock market crash, the plant was reopened in 1937.

In 1941, the federal government took over the plant and established Regina Industries Ltd. which manufactured materials for the war effort.

The plant was permanently shuttered following the Second World War.