On Tuesday morning, Minnesota leaders and community members convened in North Minneapolis to mark the opening of George Modular (GM) Solution’s first manufacturing facility. Founded by NBA veteran and North Minneapolis native Devean George, the company aims to optimize construction and create “high-quality, living wage” jobs in the area.

Gov. Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and other dignitaries took turns speaking at the event, praising the facility as another opportunity to develop North Minneapolis.

Mayor Frey, for instance, pointed to the facility’s location being previously marked as a “slum area” for minorities on city maps dating back to 1937. “It wasn’t just identifying what the area was, but what the city was intentionally trying to do,” he said.

But he also pointed to the new health and wellness-focused V3 Center being built in North Minneapolis and other initiatives aimed at improving upward mobility in the area. “This [facility] here is doubling down on excellence in our city in extraordinary fashion.”

GM Solutions specializes in modular construction, a process where a building is constructed off-site under controlled plant conditions. Proponents of the process say it can reduce waste and speed up production time by up to 50% compared to traditional construction. Earlier this year, M Health Fairview showcased a 16-bed observation unit built by modular construction.

For its part, GM Solutions plans to specialize in multi-family, hotel, student housing, retirement community, and workforce housing projects.

The new manufacturing facility had many external partners that invested in the project: The city of Minneapolis initially ponied up $2 million, while the Minnesota state government put down $3 million. Sunrise Banks also chipped in.

The manufacturing facility is part of George’s bigger vision of creating sustainable employment opportunities for North Minneapolis with more than 160 jobs to start. He’s been a fierce advocate for the area since he retired from the NBA in 2010, having founded real estate development company George Group North for affordable quality living, as well as nonprofit Building Blocks, which is focused on mentorship and housing.

George emphasized that it’s specifically the idea of “building” that’s drawn him to the industry. “It ties to bringing opportunities and resources back to the community,” he said. “This community helped me be successful, nurtured me, loved me … I feel indebted to my community for what they’ve done and continue to do for me.”

In addition to the facility providing a living wage with benefits to all employees, GM Solutions has partnered with the Minnesota Building & Constructions Trades Council, Summit Academy OIC, and Emerge Twin Cities to set up a curriculum within the plant to act as a vocational school. The curriculum will provide training certification to ease access into the trades, said GM Solutions CEO Lewis Lockwood. It could also help to backfill the labor shortage in the trades.

Already, the facility will have several big projects underway once modular unit production begins in January. First up is Village Creek Apartments in Brooklyn Park with 83 units. The facility will also be manufacturing 500 units of mixed-use housing for the Upper Harbor Terminal redevelopment. These projects will be completed on a two-year timeline, said Lockwood.

GM Solutions’ long-term vision is to duplicate the facility in other urban cores around the country, aiming to have three more plants in ten years.

“These types of opportunities aren’t necessarily available in urban areas–within walking distance or one bus ride,” George said. “We want to make these opportunities with living-wage jobs and benefits in an industry that can provide a long fulfilling career.”

For now, the North Minneapolis manufacturing facility’s floor is empty, awaiting projects and employees to fill the 83,000-square-foot space. “When I see people in here working the production line, and the first box is produced and ready to get wrapped up and shipped to the site–that’s when I might get emotional,” the founder said. “To start affecting people’s lives Monday to Friday and give them a check … that’s a good feeling.”