Work starts on K.C. air-logistics park

Work starts on K.C. air-logistics park Construction on the 800-acre multiuse Kansas City Intermodal BusinessCentre began this week, developer Trammell Crow announced.
   The facility is located on property owned by the Kansas City International Airport. It is being marketed as an air freight-intermodal logistics hub with direct access to the runway and taxi lane network, as well as to Interstate 29.
   The first phase of construction involves installing infrastructure, such as roads and utilities, on a 180-acre parcel. The initial phase is designed for four commercial buildings of about 1.8 million square feet. The infrastructure, projected to cost $15.2 million, is scheduled to be in place by next summer. The mixed-use park is to be designated as a foreign trade zone.
   Estimated cost for full buildout is about $230 million, said Steven Bradford, managing director for Trammell Crow Co.’s airport development initiative. The first building to be erected after the supporting infrastructure is in place will be 494,000-square foot speculative distribution center, he said.
   The project was delayed about nine months, Bradford said, primarily due to issues obtaining permits from the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
   Kansas City has garnered strong interest as a logistics hub because of its central location and the growth of population centers in the Midwest. Tenants are expected to include air cargo consolidators, logistics firms, warehouses, light manufacturers and commercial office users. ' Eric Kulisch