Work is set to begin on a 7-million dollar expansion project for Morton Salt in South Hutchinson.

The company that built the Siemens wind turbine plant is the general contractor. Gray Construction of Lexington Kentucky, will do the work that will completely renovate the 100 year old evaporation facility.

The project would include a new multi-story building with all new equipment.

The city of South Hutchinson approved a tax abatement incentive for Morton, even though the renovation will not add any jobs to the facility. Morton currently employs about 150 people. The tax abatement is for the building only and does not include the new equipment.

The company will receive a 100% property tax abatement for the first two years and then 20% decline in that abatement every two years aver a ten year period.

According to a cost analysis, the new facility will still generate more than 1.2 million dollars in new property taxes.

Morton salt and Gray Construction have not released many details on the expansion project. Gray construction spokesperson Jill Wilson tells The Hutch Post that they are bound by a confidentiality agreement on the project.

Morton said during an August public hearing that they hope to have have the work finished by the end of this summer.