This aerial photo shows the Volkswagen plant at Enterprise South.Making room for its expanded workforce, Volkswagen is adding about 1,500 parking spaces to its Chattanooga assembly plant.
The work will give the automaker about 4,700 parking slots, officials said Tuesday. The plant currently employs about 3,350 workers.
The city’s Industrial Development Board approved awarding a $126,500 engineering contract to Passpointe Engineering to design the lot expansion.
Bill Payne, city engineer, said the total cost of the parking lot work is estimated at $2.3 million, with the state picking up the price tag. He said plans are to finish the lot by the end of the year.
Steve Leach, the city’s public works administrator, said plans are to use a 10-acre tract adjacent to the existing lot off Volkswagen Drive. The site had been used as a temporary entrance during construction of the plant, he said.