TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Mercedes-Benz is planning to build an automotive parts staging facility in Vance that will employ about 500 people.

The Tuscaloosa News reports (http://bit.ly/ZRcc4D) that site preparation for the 900,000-square-foot facility has begun at Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, the German automaker’s plant near Tuscaloosa. Mercedes officials said Thursday that they expect to have the $70-million facility in operation by February 2014.

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The 500 new jobs there will be in addition to about 1,000 jobs that Mercedes will add soon for production of its C-Class sedans in Vance. Mercedes now has nearly 3,000 employees at the Vance auto production facility.