Panasonic Electric Vehicle Battery Plant (Mystery Kansas 'Mega Project')

[earthling]

Looks like construction will begin next month on the Panasonic plant. That's surprisingly soon after the announcement.

https://www.reuters.com/business/retail ... 20vehicles.

I wonder how the production process ranks in terms of hazards. It varies widely depending on type of additional lithium battery properties.

[Cratedigger]

Looks like construction will begin next month on the Panasonic plant. That's surprisingly soon after the announcement.

https://www.reuters.com/business/retail ... 20vehicles.

Aiming to begin mass production by March 2025.

Also this tease

Hirokazu Umeda, Panasonic Holdings Group chief financial officer, declined to give a specific figure for the investment at an earnings briefing on Monday, but said as a rough estimate that it would be "on a scale of more than $4 billion" .

[normalthings]

Panasonic has acquired the Phase 2 ground. Another $4 billion investment on the way?

[Cratedigger]

https://www.astraenterprisepark.com/

Area has been renamed Astra Enterprise Park and is marketing to companies that will serve or supply Panasonic

[earthling]

Secondary jobs can be just as significant economic impact as the primary jobs, in some cases moreso.

[TheUrbanRoo]

When this whole thing is up and running, we need to add Lawrence to our metro. At a minimum.

[FlippantCitizen]

I wish the politics/mechanism could be in place for greenbelts around metros. Suburban sprawl reaching all the way to Lawrence will be the biggest mistake in 50-60 years that we are basically 100% guaranteed to make. Whether we include them in our MSA now is irrelevant to this, I know but the comment calls it to mind. Also the blackpilled notion that the state of Kansas will probably build heavy commuter rail between KC and Topeka sooner than Jackson County could ever get it together. Growth into KS can only be sprawl at this point.

[somedude]

Secondary jobs can be just as significant economic impact as the primary jobs, in some cases moreso.

Agreed, I've already have been budgeting and pricing about a dozen different buildings that are looking to support this development and/or spill over from this Panasonic plant.

[GRID]

I wish the politics/mechanism could be in place for greenbelts around metros. Suburban sprawl reaching all the way to Lawrence will be the biggest mistake in 50-60 years that we are basically 100% guaranteed to make. Whether we include them in our MSA now is irrelevant to this, I know but the comment calls it to mind. Also the blackpilled notion that the state of Kansas will probably build heavy commuter rail between KC and Topeka sooner than Jackson County could ever get it together. Growth into KS can only be sprawl at this point.

It's kind of a double edged sword. Metro KC desperately needs to be more economically attached to Lawrence since it's really the only major university in the area, but yeah, the K-10 corridor is super sprawl.

I don't see Kansas ever building heavy rail though. I mean they have tracks along I-35 and the density to support it there and it's never really gotten any traction even after decades of studies. The most KS has been able to do in throw some signs on the intestate for buses to drive on shoulders. Then again, you are probably right, it would likely happen before Jackson County ever gets its act together.

Overall this is a good project for Metro KC. It's a far flung location, but KS actually brought in a major job creator from outside the region for once instead of just taking something from KCMO and these types of plants are typically in locations like this.

And I find it odd that Lawrence is not already part of the KC MSA. It's very attached to the KS side of the metro. Warrensburg should also be a part of the KC MSA, another university town that is very attached to the MO side of the metro. St Joe is more of a stand alone city so it makes more sense for them to be only part of the CMSA.

[Highlander]

I wish the politics/mechanism could be in place for greenbelts around metros. Suburban sprawl reaching all the way to Lawrence will be the biggest mistake in 50-60 years that we are basically 100% guaranteed to make. Whether we include them in our MSA now is irrelevant to this, I know but the comment calls it to mind. Also the blackpilled notion that the state of Kansas will probably build heavy commuter rail between KC and Topeka sooner than Jackson County could ever get it together. Growth into KS can only be sprawl at this point.

I don't see Kansas ever building heavy rail though. I mean they have tracks along I-35 and the density to support it there and it's never really gotten any traction even after decades of studies. The most KS has been able to do in throw some signs on the intestate for buses to drive on shoulders. Then again, you are probably right, it would likely happen before Jackson County ever gets its act together.

Overall this is a good project for Metro KC. It's a far flung location, but KS actually brought in a major job creator from outside the region for once instead of just taking something from KCMO and these types of plants are typically in locations like this.

And I find it odd that Lawrence is not already part of the KC MSA. It's very attached to the KS side of the metro. Warrensburg should also be a part of the KC MSA, another university town that is very attached to the MO side of the metro. St Joe is more of a stand alone city so it makes more sense for them to be only part of the CMSA.

Lawrence has always been resistant to being considered part of the KC metro. While KC grows westward, Lawrence grows mostly westward too towards Topeka. The eastern side of Lawrence is generally industrial and the valley of the Wakarusa is a barrier to development and growth towards south KC.

This plant will be an interesting development. I think the average salary in the plant (which I've read will be $50,000) is far too small to foster housing development on a large scale around DeSoto - most workers will simply commute from KC or Lawrence. Once one leaves the built up area in western Lenexa and Cedar Creek, it's only a matter of 15 or so minutes to get to the outskirts of Lawrence on K10. The commute to DeSoto will not be a difficult one for most people but it will tax capacity on K10. I could see the first thing that happens is a widening of K10 from I-35 to Desoto to 3 lanes.

[earthling]

I don't recall the exact circumstance but Douglas County won't have a choice if a certain % of labor force work in KC MSA counties at some point. Or some similar metric, don't recall.

[Highlander]

I don't recall the exact circumstance but Douglas County won't have a choice if a certain % of labor force work in KC MSA counties at some point. Or some similar metric, don't recall.

Which would include the new Panasonic plant since it will actually be in Johnson County.

[TheUrbanRoo]

I think Lawrence/Douglas has wanted to join the KC metro, not resist

[earthling]

^Maybe students/residents have but the city/county gets their own MSA allocation when there's some kind of Fed action rather than a part of KC metro.

[TheUrbanRoo]

Renderings of the plant!

https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/pa ... oto-kansas

[GRID]

So I guess they are keeping the four water towers as a tribute to the old ammunition plant? I assume they are not functional.

[Cratedigger]

So I guess they are keeping the four water towers as a tribute to the old ammunition plant? I assume they are not functional.

Glad to see it! They're a cool little landmark for the site

[TheUrbanRoo]

Just want to make sure I'm reading this correctly -- Panasonic acquired more land and is considering another separate $4 bil plant as well on top of the $4 bil plant that's already underway?

[normalthings]

Just want to make sure I'm reading this correctly -- Panasonic acquired more land and is considering another separate $4 bil plant as well on top of the $4 bil plant that's already underway?

Yes but its easy to buy the land now and decide later if you need it

[TheUrbanRoo]

Jeez. Johnson County is gonna be like the Maricopa of the Midwest in a decade then lol.