Documents submitted for rezoning show the world’s largest privately owned construction and agricultural equipment maker is planning to build its San Antonio plant on a 400-acre property on State Highway 16 on the South Side.
In October, the Great Britain-based JCB announced plans to construct its second and largest U.S. facility, a 720,000-square-foot plant, in San Antonio and hire more than 1,500 workers within five years.
But the company and local officials said the exact location where JCB would build had not been chosen.
Now documents submitted to the city in early January for rezoning, and obtained through an open records request, indicate the manufacturer has its sights on 400 acres at 13610 State Highway 16 South.
The assembled land, vacant except for two single-family homes built in 1971 and 1930, is located near the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas plant and the Texas A&M University-San Antonio campus.
The application for a change of zoning and land use, prepared by the law firm Killen, Griffin & Farrimond, requests a change from the current zoning of MI-1 for mixed light industrial to I-2 for heavy industrial district.
The current land use is designated as “agribusiness RIMSE tier” in the Heritage South Sector Plan. RIMSE is an acronym for research, industrial, manufacturing, sport and entertainment.
The application requests a change to “specialized center.”
The zoning change “is requested to allow for the manufacturing of construction/agricultural equipment and related activities,” according to the application, and the land use change “is consistent with the requested I-2 zoning.”
It is unknown when the zoning request will be considered.
Though the application names a New York-based trust and a limited partnership as owner of the properties, the applicant is identified as JCB Texas, which is authorized by the property owner to submit the request.
The largest tracts that make up the site are 227.7 acres, valued at $6.4 million by the county tax assessor, and 173.6 acres, valued at $4.2 million.
JCB makes over 300 types of construction and agricultural equipment, including backhoes, excavators, tractors, skid steer loaders and forklifts.
The 78-year-old JCB operates facilities in Great Britain, India, Brazil and China. The company’s North American headquarters is located in Savannah, Georgia, where it also operates a plant.
When JCB made its announcement last fall to build its plant in San Antonio, President and CEO Jenna Saucedo-Herrera of Greater:SATX, called it “the largest single jobs investment in over 20 years” for the area.
Precinct 1 County Commissioner Rebeca Clay-Flores said Bexar County would offer the company a 100% tax abatement (not including taxes for University Health System and Southwest Independent School District) for 10 years plus a $5 million reimbursable grant for public infrastructure.
Mayor Ron Nirenberg said the city would extend economic incentives based on performance.
Officials estimate JCB’s expansion here will have a $30 billion economic impact over the next decade.
This article has been updated to correct the size of JCB’s planned facility. It is slated to be 720,000 square feet. Reporter Tracy Idell Hamilton contributed to this report.
