Exciting Development in Kansas City: Potential Amazon Distribution Center on the Horizon

Exciting Development in Kansas City: Potential Amazon Distribution Center on the Horizon

Kansas City is buzzing with news this week, as plans for a significant industrial project are underway just north of the Kansas City International Airport. The Port Authority of Kansas City, or Port KC for short, has given the green light for what many believe is an Amazon distribution center, code-named Project Falcon.

What’s the Buzz About Project Falcon?

On Monday, Port KC announced its agreement to provide a 20-year tax incentive for this massive 630,000-square-foot facility, which will be part of the KC 29 Logistics Park. While Amazon has not officially confirmed its involvement, clues are pointing heavily in that direction. Plans approved by the city indicate that the same contractors and specific building colors, notably one dubbed “Amazon Prime Blue,” typically associated with Amazon’s warehouses, are set to be used.

A Big Investment for the City

This exciting project represents a whopping $160 million investment in real property and has the potential to bring as many as 800 new jobs to the area, according to Port KC materials. An earlier filing suggested that the project could even create 1,464 jobs, although it’s still unclear why there’s a discrepancy between the two estimates.

What’s Coming Next?

Project Falcon will mark the second phase of industrial development in KC 29 Logistics Park, which spans about 3,300 acres. The first phase included a new distribution center for Ace Hardware Corp, set to open next year, paving the way for further growth in the area.

Port KC’s approval also lays the groundwork for more industrial projects in the park, with a 20-year property tax exemption and a sales tax exemption on construction materials now available. This means that businesses moving into the park can save big, making it more attractive for future developments.

What About Taxes?

So how does the tax incentive work? Projects within the park benefiting from these exemptions will pay a set amount in lieu of taxes over the 20 years. Initially, this starts at just 5 cents per square foot for the first five years, gradually increasing to 75 cents in the last couple of years. This approach helps the city while encouraging businesses to establish themselves in the area.

Amazon’s Growing Footprint

If Project Falcon is indeed linked to Amazon, it would become the 13th facility for the company in the region since 2014. The number of locations has notably surged from just five before the pandemic, rising to 12 as demand for e-commerce services exploded in recent years.

In fact, this new distribution center will be the 10th local facility to benefit from some form of public financing, bringing the total public incentives for Amazon in the area to at least $35.5 million. Amazon has frequently stated that it values these incentives as a common practice to encourage job creation.

Local Impact and Future Plans

Amazon currently reports employing over 8,200 people locally and has invested more than $6 billion in the Kansas City area since 2010. This is not just about building a distribution center; it’s about stimulating the local economy and creating job opportunities for residents.

Looking ahead, Port KC’s projections indicate that construction for Project Falcon may begin in the fall or early 2025, with plans for the facility to become operational by 2026. The anticipation is building in Kansas City as residents and city officials look forward to welcoming whatever may come.

In Conclusion

Whether you are a local job seeker or simply someone who enjoys economic growth in your community, the developments surrounding Project Falcon are certainly something to keep an eye on. As Kansas City continues to grow, so too does the excitement for what these new projects can bring!