COLUMBUS, Ga. - Documents obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution show that Audi's planned plant in Middle Georgia could grow well beyond the $4 billion, 4,500-job project announced on Oct. 24. A possible second phase would add $3 billion in investment and 3,000 more jobs, if Audi chooses to pursue it, according to the newspaper's Nov. 2 report. The records also put the incentive package for phase one at no less than $958.4 million.

The plant is planned for the roughly 1,500-acre Middle Georgia Megasite near I-75 on the outskirts of Fort Valley, in Peach County. The project is in another part of the state from Columbus, but its size makes it a story for workers, suppliers and taxpayers across the state. The figures below are the newspaper's account of local records, and the project was not final when the report was published.

The numbers in the records

According to the AJC, the average salary is more than $63,000 a year, which works out to about $283 million in annual payroll at full employment, expected in 2031. Phase one and phase two together would total about $7 billion in investment and 7,500 jobs. The newspaper's headline referred to 6,000 jobs, a figure that does not match the phases it reports, so readers should rely on the phase-by-phase numbers.

What the incentive package includes

The AJC reported that the phase-one incentives include about $458.6 million in property tax savings over 20 years, a $94 million REBA grant and a $30 million EDGE grant. The state also provides free worker training, including a $73.5 million Quick Start Training Center. Clawbacks apply if Audi does not meet 80% of its investment and job promises, the newspaper reported.

For comparison, the AJC noted that Hyundai received $2.1 billion in incentives for a $7.6 billion project, and Rivian received a $1.5 billion package for a $5 billion factory. Those comparisons help show where the Audi package sits, though each deal has different terms and timelines. The comparison is the newspaper's, not a calculation by this site.

Timeline

• 2022: The state began assembling the megasite.
• Oct. 24, 2026: Phase one was announced at a campaign rally by President Donald Trump and Audi CEO Gernot Döllner, according to the AJC. Gov. Brian Kemp did not attend, but he and aides worked with Middle Georgia officials to close the deal.
• 2028: PILOT payments are scheduled to begin.
• 2031: Full employment is expected.
• End of 2033: Audi's deadline to exercise the phase-two expansion, after which terms would need to be renegotiated.

Questions that remain open

The documents the AJC obtained through an open records request to the Mid-Georgia Gateway Joint Development Authority were unsigned, the newspaper reported. The authority said local parties have signed all documents and that the terms have not changed, but it said finalization remains subject to approval by the State of Georgia and Audi of America. The Georgia Department of Economic Development called the project active, which allows records to be withheld under state law, and said Audi is completing its corporate approval process.

Audi's U.S. division declined to comment on confidential discussions or potential future investments, according to the AJC. Neither the authority nor the state said whether Audi would exercise the second phase. Those open points mean the totals above are a ceiling that depends on future decisions, not a commitment.

What it could mean for Columbus-area workers

The plant is planned in another part of the state, so any benefit for Columbus and Phenix City would come through hiring, training and suppliers rather than direct local incentives. The incentive package includes free worker training, including the Quick Start Training Center. Readers interested in jobs should watch announcements from the Georgia Department of Economic Development and the Mid-Georgia Gateway authority for hiring timelines, which the records do not provide.