:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/5EXTJMGIRJBCBFDKL4WYAGTK34.png)
Since buying the former Kmart distribution center in Manteno in 2023, Gotion has continued to purchase land surrounding the plant at 333 S. Spruce St.
Gotion is transforming the 1.5-million-square-foot facility into a lithium battery manufacturing plant.
The Daily Journal reported in May of 2024 that Gotion purchased about 231 acres split between two parcels for $17.5 million, according to Kankakee County tax records. That land was acquired by limited liability companies in Freemont, Calif., where Gotion has its U.S. headquarters, and it allows the China-owned company to build out its power plant for future use.
Since that purchase in May that included land directly west of its plant all the way to U.S. Route 45-52, Gotion has bought additional land west of U.S. Route 45-52 to Career Center Road (County Road 1000W) in Bourbonnais. All of that land is bordered on the north by West Division Street (County Road 9000N).
The land encompasses 271 acres, including two homes, and sold for a combined $23.97 million in November. The biggest parcel was 246 acres of farmland and a home. There were four other tracts of land that sold for $450,000 each and one with a home that sold for $470,000. Each was 5 acres in size.
“It was to facilitate the placing of the high-power lines [that connect the plant to a ComEd station],” said Chris LaRocque, Manteno village administrator. “They tried to secure easements to do that. They had trouble getting the easements, so they decided to purchase the land.”
The land has been referred to as Nugent family farmland on a website gotionlandgrab.com, that has tracked all the purchases. The land was once owned by the brother of Manteno Mayor Tim Nugent. The brother died in 1979, and the land was owned by his widow and five grown children.
“She had given each one of the five kids, five acres to build the house, and a couple of them had built houses, and we’re living out there,” he said. “… So when Gotion bought the property, they ended up buying the five acre parcels from her kids and then the remainder of the farm from her.”
Nugent said he has no financial connection to his extended family members.
“There’s a Nugent name on some of this stuff at some point in time, but it’s got absolutely nothing to do with me,” he said. “Everybody who’s named Nugent doesn’t share all the all the money that they get, or, just like I don’t share with them any money that I make.
He said it sounds good for their narrative some might be trying to portray.
“I guess I had this all planned out from 46 years ago when my brother passed away,” he said. “It’s crazy, but what can do.”
Gotion has built a power plant on its site and having direct access to the ComEd power lines was crucial. ComEd is constructing the necessary infrastructure/power lines, and Gotion will pay the power company to do the work, Nugent said.
Previously, Gotion purchased three homes in the Eagles Landing subdivision across the road from the plant to house some of its employees who are currently working at the plant.
It also bought a 6-acre parcel directly across from the plant on West Division Street from the plant. That purchase totaled $625,000.
“It’s just a commercial lot, and that was part of the original sale when [Gotion] bought the plant,” LaRocque said.
Originally, the sale of the former Kmart distribution center in Manteno closed on Dec. 15, 2023. The owner, Transform Manteno IL LLC, sold two parcels of property for $139.5 million to 333 South Spruce LLC in care of Gotion Inc., 48660 Kato Road, Freemont, Calif.
Gotion has spent a total of $183 million in its purchase of 672 acres, including the plant and surrounding land and property. All the purchases have been tracked and put on a website, gotionlandgrab.com.
Darrel Bruck, who is the spokesman for Outrage of Kankakee County, a local government watchdog, said the gotionlandgrab.com was created by supporters of the Concerned Citizens of Manteno.
The CCOM is a grassroots organization that opposes the Gotion factory. It opposes the plant because of health and safety concerns and alleges Gotion has ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
“The whole thing is a travesty,” Bruck said.
All the land and property purchases have been legal transactions and have been recorded in the Kankakee County recorder’s office.
“There’s nothing illegal about buying the land,” LaRocque said. “It’s an American company.”
https://daily-journal.com/news/local/gotion-buys-more-land-around-its-plant/article_d03afb62-ced6-11ef-8361-7711caf97177.html