The LEGO Group broke ground April 13 on its new carbon-neutral run factory in Chesterfield County near Richmond.

“This is a U.S. $1 billion investment in the company’s long-term growth globally and will help delight millions of children in the Americas with LEGO® play,” company officials said about the facility located in Chesterfield’s Meadowville Technology Park at the junction of Interstate 295 and the James River.

Once completed in 2025, the 340 acres site, the size of 260 American football fields, is expected to employ 1,760 people over 10 years. Recruitment is ongoing for 500 jobs a new packing facility, the company announced, pointing at interested people to its website, LEGO.com.

The upbeat groundbreaking, with comedian and corporate speaker Micah “Bam-Bamm” White as master of ceremonies, was attended by numerous local and state officials, including Gov. Glenn A.Youngkin and First Lady Suzanne S. Youngkin, U.S. Rep. Jennifer McClellan and Chesterfield Board of Supervisors member James “Jim” Holland, who represents the county’s Dale District.

Based in Billund, Denmark LEGO® has five main hubs, 37 sales offices, five manufacturing sites and more than 500 retail stores around the world.

Carsten Rasmussen, chief operations officer of the LEGO Group said: “We are absolutely delighted to mark the beginning of construction here in Virginia. We are grateful for the fruitful collaboration we have had with all partners across the Commonwealth of Virginia who share and support our ambition to build this factory.

“Our new site will allow us to inspire millions of children across the Americas through play and we can’t wait to get started.”