General Motors' Doraville assembly plant, set to close at the end of September, is for sale.

The automotive giant has hired a commercial real estate broker to manage the sale of the mammoth property just inside I-285 between Buford Highway and Peachtree Industrial Boulevard.

The company hopes to sell the property by the end of the year.

Redevelopment of the 60-year-old plant holds great promise. The property has easy highway access and also has a stop on MARTA's northeast rail line.

It's also one of the largest parcels inside the Perimeter, comparable to Atlantic Station, the live-work-play community near Midtown built on the site of a former steel plant.

Both the city of Doraville and DeKalb County have appointed panels to explore options. Ideas that have been floated include transforming the plant into a mixed-use village like Atlantic Station.

But the site has considerable challenges as well. The property will likely require significant environmental cleanup, though it's not clear the extent of any damage. GM is conducting an environmental study, said Dan Flores, a company spokesman.

The plant employs about 3,000 people and makes several types of minivans. GM announced the closing in November 2005 as part of a massive downsizing.