KCRag Forum

Is DT now starting a corporate relocation boom? W&R and USDA just announced and I’m hearing a few others that are considering making the move while incentives are still intact and locations are still prevalent. Here we go!

It likely won't happen with any momentum w/out spec buildings in the works. There are signs of that but developers/tenants want large dedicated garages, which probably won't happen w/out TIF. KC also doesn't have enough big ticket developers willing to take on spec risk. Downtown will probably get a spec building here and there but will be surprising if with any significant momentum or size. Someone has to 'own' the risk. National developers don't seem interested in KC (for office). They might be if we had effective metro transit that many would use.

When the streetcar is extended to UMKC, one site I think will get developed soon after is the NW corner of 31st and Main. There's a grass parcel there, and an under-utilized garage left over from the Trinity Lutheran complex. There are major bus lines crossing both ways as well. It's the existing garage that makes it an attractive site. Any building of height would have nice views in all directions. With so much transit there, it is likely any tenant could get buy with a lower parking ratio per employee.

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.0701173 ... !1e3?hl=en

That lot is earmarked for the expansion of Ability, the rehabilitation clinic, with their new entrance being there instead of the present entrance on Baltimore facing the decaying hospital shell.

Are You Game and Regal Art will both construct distribution centers in KC per the KCADC annual event.

Looks like "Are You Game" moved to KC from Memphis...
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-release ... 51219.html

And do you mean this Regal Art and Gifts or maybe Regal Distributing in JoCo?

^Regal Art & Gifts.

More here on Are You Game..
https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/ ... -city.html

SanFran based, moved distro center from Memphis to KC.

normalthings wrote: ↑Fri Nov 08, 2019 2:40 pm Are You Game and Regal Art will both construct distribution centers in KC per the KCADC annual event.

Not exactly the big wins I would have liked to see.

Quest Analytics moved HQ from Appleton, WI to JoCo (Corporate Woods). Wonder if MO ever had a shot given they were already present in JoCo.

https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/ ... rters.html

beautyfromashes wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2019 10:02 am Is DT now starting a corporate relocation boom? W&R and USDA just announced and I’m hearing a few others that are considering making the move while incentives are still intact and locations are still prevalent. Here we go!

The critical thing now will be to keep BC/BS in downtown, facilitated perhaps by a move even deeper into the core. Even though there is currently a truce in the border war, I would not doubt if they get a big package from a KS burb for a move. They've advertised they wanted to move so I suspect they are incentives hunting.

Highlander wrote: ↑Sat Nov 16, 2019 5:00 pm

beautyfromashes wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2019 10:02 am Is DT now starting a corporate relocation boom? W&R and USDA just announced and I’m hearing a few others that are considering making the move while incentives are still intact and locations are still prevalent. Here we go!

The critical thing now will be to keep BC/BS in downtown, facilitated perhaps by a move even deeper into the core. Even though there is currently a truce in the border war, I would not doubt if they get a big package from a KS burb for a move. They've advertised they wanted to move so I suspect they are incentives hunting.

I had thought that they wanted to stay in the city.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City said Wednesday that it is shopping for an updated headquarters.

The insurer said in a release that it will consider a move to new or existing space, or renovations to its present headquarters space at 2301 Main St. Blue KC said it is considering options in Kansas City, Mo.

Regardless, I am not convinced that we should waste our time or incentives on keeping BCBS in KCMO. Instead, let's focus on attracting firms from outside the region to downtown. That could be relocating bank and tech offices from Joco or pursuing new offices entirely. The major Wall Street banks are looking to move thousands of jobs from NYC to Midwest/South - going after those would be a better investment IMHO.

Think of a company that puts a warehouse or office in every major city. We want to have their headquarters or their national service center that’s important to every office.

The place I work the senior managers from across the country come to KC for a lot of events. We have certain support staff that support the business nationwide. Let’s say we close office in city X, the service center is still needed for all the rest.

That’s a smart investment for the future economy.

DFA is a good example of this model.

BCBS of KC covers 30 counties in MO but only JoCo and the Dot in Kansas so I would imagine they will be staying in MO. A move to KS would get a lot of pushback from BCBS of Kansas.

^Good point.

I am wondering if Van Trust is trying to woo Blue Cross/Blue Shield to their proposed building north of Washington Square Park.



https://vantrustrealestate.com/property ... uare-park/

California aerospace company considers KC for expansion

Ducommun AeroStructures, a California-based aerospace manufacturer, might be looking for space in Kansas City.
The company also is evaluating plans to expand in Coxsackie, N.Y., a small town south of Albany where the company already has a 146,000-square-foot manufacturing plant that employs 250.

During a meeting with the company, economic development officials from that area said Ducommun was weighing whether to expand in Coxsackie or Kansas City.

https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/ ... nsion.html

earthling wrote: ↑Wed Nov 27, 2019 1:15 pm California aerospace company considers KC for expansion

Ducommun AeroStructures, a California-based aerospace manufacturer, might be looking for space in Kansas City.
The company also is evaluating plans to expand in Coxsackie, N.Y., a small town south of Albany where the company already has a 146,000-square-foot manufacturing plant that employs 250.

During a meeting with the company, economic development officials from that area said Ducommun was weighing whether to expand in Coxsackie or Kansas City.

https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/ ... nsion.html

It manufactures structural and electronic components and subassemblies for a wide variety of commercial, military, and space aircraft, notably for the Boeing 737 NG and 777 airliners,

I wonder if the 737 supplier hub in Kansas and 777 wing production in STL are part of the reason why they want to move.

2,000 people in facilities located in California, Arkansas, Arizona, Kansas,Oklahoma, Missouri, Wisconsin, New York.

Sounds like they have facilities ties in the area already. Maybe this could also lead to the consolidation of existing MO/KAN operations.

Update on USDA move to KC. It hasn't been going well, many positions haven't been filled and only about half of reports are generated - though maybe partly due to pandemic. Biden's new Secretary of Agriculture might simply allow hiring in either KC or DC according to source in article. If the case, KC probably still benefits than if the move didn't happen at all but might not have been worth the incentives, especially if many jobs end up as 'work from anywhere' long term.

https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-02-02/th ... ansas-city

earthling wrote: ↑Tue Feb 02, 2021 6:58 pm Update on USDA move to KC. It hasn't been going well, many positions haven't been filled and only about half of reports are generated - though maybe partly due to pandemic. Biden's new Secretary of Agriculture might simply allow hiring in either KC or DC according to source in article. If the case, KC probably still benefits than if the move didn't happen at all but might not have been worth the incentives.

https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-02-02/th ... ansas-city

Don't create the promised jobs? Don't get the promised incentives. I am not worried