ursuant to a bill signed by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius earlier this year, the former Kansas Dept. of Commerce and Housing has spun off its housing responsibilities into a branch of the state's finance authority. The name change is emblematic of a renewed focus on state commerce by State Commerce.
        Its first order of business is a series of "prosperity summits" now taking place across the state, scheduled to culminate this fall at a statewide summit in the aerospace city of Wichita.
        One project that may serve as a future showcase for the state's development focus is in the southern portion of one of the country's wealthiest counties, Johnson County, southwest of Kansas City. There, in DeSoto, Kansas (named for the explorer whose peregrinations took him there), the 9,065-acre (3,669-hectare) Sunflower Army Ammunition plant is also in the middle of being renewed. And the original reason for the base location may serve as a reason for its future tenancy.

U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.)

        Established as the nation was going to war in 1941, the facility became the world's largest powder plant. The installation's primary mission was to manufacture smokeless powder and propellants. The location could not have been more central, and was chosen for its relative safety from attack.
        With today's security concerns, some of those same criteria are entering the minds of corporate site selectors – especially in the pharmaceuticals sector. In fact, Becton-Dickinson has sited several plants in neighboring Nebraska in part because of the state's relative insulation. And it turns out that life sciences may be the focus of a 1,500-acre (607-hectare) parcel of the installation.

Car Parts and Concrete As part of its national High-Velocity distribution plan, Ford Motor Co. is about to open one of 19 new parts distribution hubs in Shawnee, Kansas, leasing 223,000 sq. ft. (20,717 sq. m.). Developed by Catellus, the new facility will allow daily, rather than weekly, ordering by 320 dealerships in seven states. Employing about 50, the new center joins other new centers in Memphis, Tenn.; Manteca (Sacramento), Calif.; Ontario, Calif.; Houston, Texas; Fort Worth, Texas; Denver, Colo.; Phoenix, Ariz.; and Portland, Ore. Centers in Menomonie, Wis.; Princeton, Ind.; Davenport, Fla.; and Mebane, N.C., are scheduled to begin operations in 2003, with others scheduled to be launched through 2004.         Irish multinational building materials firm Oldcastle likes to boast that it's "building a concrete future." It's certainly helping the future of Kansas, as it embarks on an $11-million plant in the Kansas City area community of Bonner Springs.         The 31,000-sq.-ft. (2,880-sq.-m.) facility, located on a 43-acre (17-hectare) site, will employ 40 at the outset, with plans to expand within two years, depending on the market for decorative concrete products. Oldcastle is one of five U.S. divisions of CRH, headquartered at Belgard Castle in Dublin, Ireland. CRH employs almost 50,000 people at close to 1,500 facilities in 22 countries – Oldcastle employs more than half of them at 405 facilities in North America alone.

        "I will continue to work toward a final plan for Sunflower that would devote a significant portion of the site to a life sciences research park," said Gov. Sebelius in July as she signed the Preliminary Finding of Suitability for Early Transfer (FOSET) order to get the land transfer process moving.

But first, a word from the legal department. Overlapping with a pages-long sequence of environmental studies is the process of enacting those studies' recommendations – which could take as long as another 10 years. And Blaine Hastings, manager of the U.S. General Services Administration's real property disposal field office, says all progress on the property disposal process is on hold pending the resolution of two legal cases: one involving Those Opposed To Oz (TOTO) and the other involving claims on the land by the Shawnee Indians. The Shawnee brief was filed in July, and the TOTO case has been postponed indefinitely pending completion by the GSA of procedures and public comment hearings pursuant to the National Historic Preservation Act. If and when the transfer of property is allowed to be carried out, it will be up to the community of Johnson County to decide the land's fate.
        As for the Opposition to Oz: at one point, it looked as if part of the property would be redeveloped as a theme park, appropriately called the Wonderful World of Oz. But Johnson County commissioners in 2001 didn't find that appropriate at all, and voted down a feasibility study for the proposed US$861-million project.
        Another obstacle is a plan by the Army to landfill some of the contaminated soil on the property rather than remove it. While this can often be a standard remedy in brownfield redevelopment, it has raised the hackles of, among others, U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), a member of the Armed Services Committee, who has asked the Army to desist with the landfill option. Meanwhile, he has been active in promoting the successful designation of 2,000 acres (810 hectares) for parkland, and in advocating the life sciences approach.
        "The Senator's priority has been to beef up the Kansas City-area research infrastructure, and that's a priority he'd like to see considered," says Roberts' spokesperson Sarah Ross. "The Governor is in agreement, and they plan on working together as soon as the land is conveyed."

Ross adds that the metro's overall infrastructure will require the active participation of state and local governments on both sides of the state line. Roberts was one of several prominent individuals involved in launching the Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute in 1999, with the backing of local institutions such as Stowers Institute for Medical Research and the University of Kansas. The Institute is headed by Director Dr. Bill Duncan.

See the SITES Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant www.sfaap.net General Services Administration Property Disposal Office www.propertydisposal.gsa.gov Johnson County, Kansas www.jocoks.com Kansas Chamber of Commerce and Industry www.kansaschamber.org Kansas City Area Development Council www.smartkc.com Kansas City Life Sciences Institute www.kclifesciences.org

        "At this stage of the game, the discussions have been more at the conceptual level," says Duncan of the project. "Being along the K-10 corridor – the stretch of highway that connects Lawrence and southwest Kansas City – makes it quite attractive. From that perspective alone, it certainly offers some possibilities."
        Among the many interested parties is Kansas City-based developer Kessinger Hunter, which has already participated in the development of a mixed-use residential/commercial plan for part of the Sunflower property.
        Today's focus on life sciences and industry seems to make a lot more sense to people who would rather experience real jobs than fantasy rides. Even some of those involved in the legal disputes have spoken in favor of the research park option, which many would like to see modeled after the mother of all such parks: Research Triangle Park (RTP) in North Carolina.
        "A research park, as part of a larger development, would be an engine of growth for the region for decades to come," said Gov. Sebelius. "It would attract creative, talented people to our region and create jobs not only for today's workers, but also for our children and grandchildren. Nothing could be more important for Kansas City and the State of Kansas."