Development underway for Missouri’s largest logistics park

The commercial real estate firm Hunt Midwest expects to begin construction next year on the first of more than two dozen buildings on 3,300 acres of land that Hunt Midwest has assembled adjacent to Kansas City International Airport.

Hunt Midwest recently closed on the acquisition of 1,300 acres that are contiguous with roughly 2,000 acres it already owned. Hunt Midwest intends to invest close to $1.3 billion over the next decade to develop and build on this land 18 million sf of Class A logistics and manufacturing spaces. City approvals and building designs are pending.

In response to questions from BD+C, Hunt Midwest stated that it anticipates 27 industrial buildings on the site, ranging from 189,000 sf to 1.14 million sf. Buildout, said the developer, will be a phased approach based on market demand, with a mix of spec and build-to-suit inventory planned.

Olsson has completed the project’s initial civil design. The vertical construction team will be selected at a later date, said Hunt Midwest. 2023 is also when the airport’s new single terminal is scheduled for completion.

A TRANSPORTATION HUB

“We saw this acquisition as a good strategic move to augment the unprecedented industrial growth that Kansas City is experiencing,” said Ora Reynolds, Hunt Midwest’s President & CEO, in a prepared statement. “Disruptions in the global supply chains have driven the need to store more inventory closer to the end consumer and to re-shore manufacturing back to the United States. We hope to capitalize upon these demand drivers with some big ‘wins’ right here in Kansas City.”

KCI 29 Logistics, as this development has been dubbed, would be the largest logistics park in the state of Missouri. It will provide immediate access to the airport’s air cargo operations, which includes hubs for UPS, FedEx and USPS; and to Interstates 29 and 435 via the Mexico City Interchange. The park will offer users the ability to reach 90 percent of the U.S. population within two days via truck or air freight. Area infrastructure includes onsite transmission level power, a transmission waterline, and wastewater treatment plant.

“In addition to Kansas City’s desire to serve our region’s flying public, our investment in a new airport terminal was also meant to spur new economic activity in underdeveloped areas surrounding KCI,” said Quinton Lucas, Kansas City’s Mayor. “I’m glad to see these efforts materialize, and I appreciate Hunt Midwest’s partnership in these job-creating efforts.”