NORTHEAST TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) — Local leaders are pushing to bring a Tesla gigafactory to the Tallahassee area, arguing the region has the workforce, land and infrastructure to support large-scale advanced manufacturing.
Not everyone agrees.
WATCH FULL REPORT BELOW:
The effort gained momentum after Governor Ron DeSantis posted on social media that he is open to a Tesla gigafactory in Florida.
Gigafactories produce batteries for electric vehicles.
Eddie Gonzalez Loumiet, chair of the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce, believes the capital city region is the right fit and has launched an active recruiting campaign.
"We created a micro site almost like a pitch deck, but just on a website to basically share and articulate why we are not only great for a gigafactory, but also really to be honest, for advanced manufacturing," Gonzalez Loumiet said.
He believes Tallahassee's existing technology resources, transportation infrastructure, available land, and talent pipeline from local colleges make it a strong candidate for the project, which he says could create thousands of jobs and generate significant tax revenue and economic growth.
"We've got the MagLab, these great institutions of higher learning, and so reminding people that we're here as you're looking for opportunities to build a manufacturing plant, don't overlook our community," Gonzalez Loumiet said.
Not all residents share that enthusiasm.
Major development projects in the region — including the Welaunee Arch, Canopy neighborhood and water and sewer upgrades on Bannerman Road — have previously sparked debate over environmental impacts, traffic and project transparency.
Retired physicist Scott Hannahs said large employers like a gigafactory carry real risks for a community.
"Batteries are really chemically difficult to deal with; they're very caustic, very acidic, heavy metals,” Hannahs said. “Technically, I don't see these big monolithic employers as actually good for any community — more distributed, smaller operations that cannot run the community, but be run by the community.”
Leon County Commissioner Brian Welch has expressed support for the idea, though in a statement he said any business that moves into the area would still be required to adhere to existing regulations.
Welch has said he favors reasonable, measured growth.
Read the full statement below:
"We all want reasonable, measured growth that also protects our natural beauty and feels like Tallahassee. Any project at any scale has to meet our environmental, permitting and zoning requirements. No one is challenging those. We are instead challenging the community to think bigger for our local economic vitality."
Gonzalez Loumiet said that while attracting a gigafactory is his vision, he wants the broader community to weigh in on economic development priorities — whether that means a "hockey or minor league soccer stadium," for example, or other ideas.
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