A contract is set to go before the City Industrial Development Board on Wednesday as work gets underway on a second vehicle line at the Chattanooga Volkswagen plant.
There will be 559,000 square feet of plant additions for the new seven-passenger SUV line.
The bond board will be asked to approve a contract with S&ME for limited geotechnical services, and special inspection and construction materials testing services leading up to the new production line.
The contract for almost $700,000 is to be covered half by the city and half by the county.
S&ME was hired for similar services when the original plant was built for the production of the Passat line.
For the new SUV, there will be body shop, assembly and technical center additions. There will also be east warehouse, west warehouse and cafeteria additions.
There will be separate contractors. Gray Construction was selected for the body shop, assembly and technical center additions. The East Warehouse addition has been bid followed by the West Warehouse addition.
Officials said the additions will use similar means and materials as the original plant. Aggregate piers are expected to be needed for some of the additions.
Minimal site grading is expected to be needed. However, some soil test drillings will be necessary.
Construction schedules are expected to overlap, it was stated.