Kansas, Missouri battle over companies

[earthling]

Plenty of "Kansas" bashing on WaPo chat over this...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/ ... 3e4c10366f

[normalthings]

Star article on USDA consolidation into KC. KC region being major animal/agriculture center and significant existing Fed employment apparently factors in decision.
https://www.kansascity.com/news/politic ... 42813.html

There should be enough downtown available space for 500 employees but no criteria likely defined yet.

Sources say several spots may be in play. On the Missouri side, office buildings in the greater downtown area were explored, including City Center Square; a Quality Hill building at 8th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue where State Street operates; sublease space at Shook, Hardy & Bacon’s offices near Crown Center, as well as offices in Crown Center itself.


In Kansas, the Sprint Campus and an office building at Lenexa’s Renner Ridge Corporate Center are in consideration. The site of the proposed American Royal complex in Wyandotte County was offered up, but the USDA signaled a preference for existing office space.

City Center Square makes the most sense for a downtown location. Streetcar adjacent in a newly renovated building. The top tenants floors are also included in the renovation. Not sure if this is a sign but.... the City Center Square Loopnet listing was just taken down.

[earthling]

Starland news..
https://www.startlandnews.com/2019/06/usda-kansas-city/

The USDA team is evaluating multiple Class A office properties in Kansas and Missouri for its 120,000-square-foot space, which will house both agencies and 568 employees.

The Kansas City region was selected for its existing concentration of USDA employees and operations, the more than 150 federal agencies in the area, proximity to 13 land grant universities, and central location in the agricultural heart of the country, according to the Kansas City Area Development Council. This concentration is enhanced by the area’s research capabilities and industry-led initiatives like the KC Animal Health Corridor.

“With 56 percent of total worldwide animal health, diagnostics and pet food sales, the Kansas City region is home to more than 300 animal health companies, representing the largest concentration in the world,” said Kimberly Young, president, KC Animal Health Corridor.

Kansas City is already home to more than a dozen USDA agency operations. More than 5,000 USDA employees and contractors work in Kansas City for operations such as the Office of Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service and the Farm Service Agency. The Kansas City area also boasts 35,000 federal employees, and a robust Federal Executive Board serving the metro’s 150 federal agencies.

It would make a lot of sense for USDA to consolidate those 5-6,000 local employees into a single campus. I just hope that that’s a downtown office tower and not Sprint HQ.

If they are looking for 2 sites, would guess the higher paid and those who directly support them will go downtown and the rest in the burbs. Unlikely 5K+ consolidated downtown, maybe 500-1000.

[GRID]

Plenty of "Kansas" bashing on WaPo chat over this...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/ ... 3e4c10366f

People in the DC area despise of the midwest (culturally), especially points past Ohio (KS/MO = Alabama and Mississippi here) and it's gotten much worse since Trump was elected. They associate everything at the state level and don't realize that the major metros are typically far more liberal and progressive. If they want to have any chance what so ever of getting people to relocate, they had better choose a halfway decent site like Downtown. Even suburban office space around DC is more urban with urban type amenities compared to KC. Johnson County's low density, lack of transit and recreation and all white people will appeal to nobody here.

This is a great opportunity for downtown. I sure hope it's not wasted on back filling the Sprint campus or some building on Renner Blvd. But then again, look where the EPA moved, so I'm not too optimistic.

[earthling]

DC is a major 'intellectual haven' (moreso than NYC and Boston % wise) so not surprising. And it was a Trump admin decision moving to red states.

Politico on the cost savings aspect...
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/ ... ea-1529072

KC has had some decent momentum with Fed agencies over last couple decades, with both DEM/GOP administrations. More momentum might turn KC into a defacto standard goto location for secondary operational sites for Feds, maybe. New airport will help. And this attention also might help streetcar Fed funding move forward.

[earthling]

DC Biz Journal on opposition...

The decision, however, faces stern opposition, as House Democrats, led by Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., have threatened the block the move. The American Federation of Government Employees, meanwhile, slammed the decision, calling it "a clear attempt to undermine their scientific work." AFGE says employees of both agencies voted overwhelmingly to join the federal workers union within the past month in response to the proposed relocation.

“The USDA has provided no rational justification to employees, to Congress, or to its stakeholders for this move, which will make it harder for the agencies to coordinate with other science and research agencies," AFGE National President J. David Cox Sr. said in a release. "We will continue to work with Congress and other parties to fight this wrongheaded proposal, which is little more than a backdoor way to slash the workforce and silence the parts of the agencies’ research that the administration views as inconvenient.”

https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/ ... ansas.html

[grovester]

from twitter:

Perdue also punted on the nature of $26 million in state and local incentives being offered to relocate a federal government agency. Says if governments want to disclose that type of information, they can if they choose.

Do we know which incentives were used?

[WoodDraw]

Something I read said this agency is like 200 below their normal guess. That could be huge under a different adminstration.

Sounds like this might be a fight though, even though I'm a fan of distributing work outside DC.

[WoodDraw]

So now it's an incentive fight which is so annoying. I really hope this ends up at ccs. Crown center would be...fine.

If this ends up just being Sprint prison hq backfill, I'd rather them stay in dc

[earthling]

Meanwhile our personal property taxes jump up as biz get tax breaks.

[normalthings]

So now it's an incentive fight which is so annoying. I really hope this ends up at ccs. Crown center would be...fine.

If this ends up just being Sprint prison hq backfill, I'd rather them stay in dc

I don’t expect USDA to be able to convince anyone to leave DC for the Sprint Campus.

[kboish]

I don't understand how a municipal government gives the federal government a tax break. It doesn't make sense. And if the city/state are spending their own money to build things out, that is even dumber and less coherent.

[nomadcowatbk]

Plenty of "Kansas" bashing on WaPo chat over this...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/ ... 3e4c10366f

they probably think they'll be moving next to some Trump loving farmer

[earthling]

Next steps with USDA move from DC to KC..
https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/ ... pdate.html

Six buildings have been identified but no locations mentioned other than both sides of state line. Selection anticipated 'shortly after' July 7. Relocating Sept 30. So apparently no waiting for new construction.

KCADC reps heading to DC to help with relocation questions.. schools, housing, etc.


In this article, KCADC rep says they are 'just getting started' with efforts to attract more Fed agencies/jobs to KC given already a base of 35K Fed employees and about 100 agencies here...
https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/ ... -usda.html

[normalthings]

Next steps with USDA move from DC to KC..
https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/ ... pdate.html

Six buildings have been identified but no locations mentioned other than both sides of state line. Selection anticipated 'shortly after' July 7. Relocating Sept 30. So apparently no waiting for new construction.

KCADC reps heading to DC to help with relocation questions.. schools, housing, etc.


In this article, KCADC rep says they are 'just getting started' with efforts to attract more Fed agencies/jobs to KC given already a base of 35K Fed employees and about 100 agencies here...
https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/ ... -usda.html

Welcome sign at KCI for USDA Employees visiting KC

[beautyfromashes]

https://www.kansascity.com/news/politic ... 99633.html

For USDA researcher Andrew Crane-Droesch, a cross-country move from the nation’s capital to Kansas City is out of the question.

Giving reasons:
...”Number four, I have a deal-breaking preference to live in a walkable city,” he said, “and I understand Kansas City is not there yet.”

[langosta]

https://www.kansascity.com/news/politic ... 99633.html

For USDA researcher Andrew Crane-Droesch, a cross-country move from the nation’s capital to Kansas City is out of the question.

Giving reasons:
...”Number four, I have a deal-breaking preference to live in a walkable city,” he said, “and I understand Kansas City is not there yet.”

This should be City Center Square’s to loose.

[earthling]

The House voted to block USDA move to KC but unknown if Senate will...
https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/ ... block.html

[kboish]

Does anyone else think Vockrodt has gone off the deep end with this twitter exchange with Collison?

https://twitter.com/kckansascity/status ... 99616?s=20

Vockrodt seems representative of the Star hiring reporters who aren't reporting things, but are just misinterpreting their own bias as an "angle" for the story. He is realllllly pushing hard on this one and has lost what little credibility he had left in my eyes.

[smh]

Does anyone else think Vockrodt has gone off the deep end with this twitter exchange with Collison?

https://twitter.com/kckansascity/status ... 99616?s=20

Vockrodt seems representative of the Star hiring reporters who aren't reporting things, but are just misinterpreting their own bias as an "angle" for the story. He is realllllly pushing hard on this one and has lost what little credibility he had left in my eyes.

Concur