Eau Claire approves $270M biomanufacturing facility deal

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The Eau Claire City Council approved a deal for construction of a new biomanufacturing facility on the city’s north side.

The ABF-proposed facility, unanimously approved on April 28, is expected to bring up to 100 jobs paying between $24 and $60 an hour to the area, according to the city council’s agenda packet. Eau Claire is giving $5.6 million to ABF in direct assistance, with $1.4 million of that coming up front, and additional financial help through extending an existing tax incremental district.

ABF Ingredients, a British-based company, expects the whole effort, dubbed “Project Aurora,” will amount to a $270 million investment in the area, and “a guaranteed taxable value [of] $56 million across all three phases,” according to the agenda.

The new facility is meant to support Ohly, an ABFI subsidiary specializing in yeast-based flavors, culinary powders, animal feed and nutrition products.

Phase one of the project would create about 25-30 jobs to build out a 22,000-square-foot facility, with phase two creating another 35 jobs to add another 100,000 square feet, and the final phase bumping jobs by another 30-35 and space by an additional 22,000 square feet. 

ABFI would put down $68 million for the first phase, $135 million for phase two and $70 million for phase three.

The company is required to break ground on the project some time in 2026 and complete construction by the end of 2028, according to the agreement. And it must inform the city if it plans to continue or not with phase two before the end of 2029, though the agreement includes a 12-month extension clause for any delays due to “unforeseen circumstances.”

Should ABF go through with all three phases, final construction would be complete in 2035, according to estimates in the agreement. 

Once the whole plan is complete, the facility would use up to roughly 200,000 gallons of water per day, according to the agreement.