Harry Barto, president and CEO with Rexam Beverage Can NorthAmerica, said in a Dec. 10 statement that the 30-year-old plant on3400 S. Council Rd. needed to be shuttered because the 12-oz.canmarket is slowing down. "With these moves, we are doing our part inbalancing capacity with demand, further improving our existingoperations," Barto said in the release.

What wasn't said, however, was what would become of the plant. Aspokesman with Rexam's North American headquarters in Chicago saysa decision hasn't been made about the real estate. "We won't beclosed until some time in the first quarter of 2009," he adds. "Atthat time, we'll do an environmental assessment of the plant andanalyze options."

The area's industrial brokers aren't too alarmed at the idea ofa vacant canning plant on the city's outskirts, however. "I don'tthink this will be a huge backbreaker on the market," commentsBrent Price, an associate with Sperry Van Ness' Oklahoma Cityoffice. "On the industrial side, overall, we're well-positioned andwill do fine going forward. We're still in single digits when itcomes to vacancies. This won't hit us too hard."