The City of Flint and Ashley Capital will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony April 15 to celebrate the lease-up of the first building at the Flint Commerce Center industrial park in Flint, Michigan.
Phase 1 of Ashley Capital’s vision for the redevelopment of the former Buick City site is a complete success, and work is underway for future development on the site.
Bunzl Distribution, Inc. has signed a lease for 162,637 square feet, bringing the 330,000 square foot building to 100% occupancy. Bunzl is a global leader in distribution and outsourcing with headquarters in London, employs over 8,000 people across North America and supplies more than 400,000 products, with sales in excess of $12 billion.
Victory Packaging, the first tenant to sign a lease, began operations in the building in the third quarter of 2024. Victory Packaging is a single-source packaging partner that helps enhance brands through customized e-commerce solutions. This Flint operation will support nearby General Motors facilities.
“We welcome Bunzl Distribution, Inc. and Victory Packaging and look forward to these partnerships driving economic progress for years to come. This is great news for Flint and its residents. This project will create more than 50 jobs, in addition to the more than 50 jobs already created by Victory Packaging. The transformation of the former Buick City site speaks to the strength and resilience of this community, and I am proud to be a partner.” – Mayor Neeley, City of Flint
Building #1 is the first of many buildings at the Flint Commerce Center, a 350-acre redevelopment of the former Buick City site undertaken by Ashley Capital, one of America’s largest privately held industrial real estate investment firms. Ashley Capital uses its expertise in development, property management, leasing, and finance to develop facilities with large economic impacts, from the ground up or by transforming obsolete buildings and brownfields into state-of-the-art distribution and industrial facilities.
“The continued development, revitalization, and rehabilitation at the former Buick City site in Flint is a testament to the resilience of Genesee County and the attractiveness of our community for new business and innovation. Ashley Capital has been a dedicated partner in bringing opportunities back to Flint, and the arrivals of Victory Packaging and Bunzl are another positive step in bolstering our local economy. As a champion of the transformation of Flint’s largest brownfield site, I am incredibly proud of the progress we have achieved, creating opportunities for hope and prosperity. I look forward to continuing this vital work with great partners like Ashley Capital as we reinforce the power of Michigan manufacturing and bring jobs back to Genesee County.” – Senator John Cherry, 27th District, State of Michigan Senate
Vehicle production ceased on the site by 1999, and the site has been vacant for decades. As a result of GM’s bankruptcy proceedings, the property passed into the hands of the Revitalizing Auto Communities Environmental Response (RACER) Trust. Ashley Capital purchased the site from RACER in 2023 and is developing a state-of-the-art industrial park which will consist of approximately 3.5 million square feet.
“We congratulate Ashley Capital and Bunzl Distribution, Inc.,and welcome this exciting news. Ashley Capital has once again proved to be a capable developer who consistently delivers on its promises to the communities where it operates, including at the former Buick City property in Flint, and we could not be happier for all parties involved”. – Elliott P. Laws, RACER Trust
The park will be developed over several years based on market demand. When completed, the Flint Commerce Center will represent an investment of approximately $300,000 million and will be a major economic catalyst for Flint, boosting economic opportunity for area citizens and tax revenues for local governments.
