Midwest City approves zoning for glass manufacturer

By Jeff Harrison
Midwest City Beacon

Midwest City leaders last week approved changes to zoning for a potential business in the Soldier Creek Industrial Park.

The city council agreed to amend an existing planned unit development zoning to allow for changes to the proposed exterior finishes to the building as well as the building use.

American Glass, Inc. plans to purchase 11.73 acres in the Soldier Creek Industrial Park, 7450 NE 23rd St., where it will build its corporate headquarters and primary production facility.

The proposed building would incorporate glass, aluminum, and stucco exteriors. The front or north side would be 65% aluminum with a brushed stainless appearance and 35% glass. The west side would be entirely glass, while the east and south sides would feature stucco.

Designs feature less brick and different articulation than traditionally used in commercial buildings, said Robert Coleman, Midwest City economic development director.

Coleman said they also added the industrial use on the PUD.

“The use was not really defined before so we felt like it would be good to formally approve that use,” he said.

Coleman said the original PUD included “conservative” language.

American Glass, a privately held corporation, produces, and maintains glass wall units used primarily for new commercial construction. It has been involved in several notable projects including the Devon and BancFirst Towers in Oklahoma City and the BOK Arena in Tulsa.

Existing American Glass facilities in Cleveland, (Oklahoma), Oklahoma City and Tulsa, along with approximately 70 employees, will be consolidated to a new 100,000 square foot building at SCIP. The facility will soon have access to rail service, which will make it more economical to ship products nationwide and internationally.

The American Glass project will be included in the Northside Improvement Tax Increment Finance District. The city created the TIF District to spur economic development in the Soldier Creek Industrial Park and NE 23rd and NE 36th streets. The TIF was expected to generate more than $8 million that will be used for infrastructure improvements and economic incentives to attract industrial businesses and make enhancements along NE 23rd St.

The city targeted two businesses for the TIF District. Centrillium Proteins, LLC, a food processing company, and Global Turbine Services, a jet engine maintenance and repair company, both planned to build new facilities in the TIF District.

GTS has dropped its plans to build in the Soldier Creek Industrial Park. Coleman said they will need to amend the TIF District to include American Glass Inc. and remove GTS. Centrillium has been slowed after the Osage Nation requested an archaeological dig near the proposed site.

Coleman expects to see building plans for American Glass within the next 6-8 weeks. He said they will still need to amend the TIF to match the current projects.

“Once vertical construction starts you can’t do anything,” Coleman said. “I’m trying to get that back to the council, back to the local development review committee, back to the planning commission and then back to the council in the next 60 days.”

American Glass Inc. is seeking assistance from the city in construction of a rail spur at the property. Colemans said the city and the TIF will help offset that cost.

The council unanimously approved the zoning request 5-0 at the April 25 meeting. Councilmembers Susan Eads and Megan Bain were absent.