How will new industrial park impact Shawnee? With lots of jobs, officials hope

In a dusty lot in northwest Shawnee off of K-7 highway, Gov. Laura Kelly, Shawnee Mayor Michelle Distler and other officials plunged shovels into the ground Tuesday afternoon, ceremonially breaking ground on the Heartland Logistics Park.

Officials hope the park, which has been in the works for 15 years, can bring around 1,500 jobs to Shawnee. It will comprise multiple buildings with up to 2 million square feet of warehouse, freezer and manufacturing space, according to a Shawnee Economic Development Council news release.

“Bringing job opportunities to Kansas is always cause for celebration, but the timing of this particular event is chiefly significant,” Kelly said, “because it will make a really significant contribution to our economic recovery efforts as we go forward through this pandemic and beyond.”

Ann Smith-Tate, the president and CEO of the Shawnee Economic Development Council, said no companies have committed to operate in the industrial park yet. But she said officials are in talks with many.

Smith-Tate said the estimate of job growth is based on the square footage of the new park, the manufacturers the project seeks to attract and the projected number of distributors that will be employed.

Many speakers at the groundbreaking emphasized the importance to the economy of the logistics industry, which involves transporting and distributing goods.

“As we are reliant more and more on getting goods to our consumers at home and in our offices, and the more growth of online e-commerce, we see the need (for logistics) growing, and really just continually growing into the future,” Smith-Tate said.

With the industrial park’s proximity to K-7 and interstates 70, 435 and 35, it is a strategic spot for a logistics-focused development.

“The central location, along with our high-quality transportation system, allows us to reach 85% of the U.S. population in two days or less,” Kelly said. “That’s an incredible advantage in the distribution of goods. It’s why the logistics industry continues to be drawn to our state and why we must leverage locational advantage to deliver even more economic growth in the future.”

The developer for the project is Blue Shawnee. The Kansas Department of Transportation and Department of Commerce both played large roles in the creation of the project.

Smith-Tate said city and state governments contributed around $4 million each to the project, respectively. Additionally, tax abatements will apply to the park for 10 years.

Smith-Tate said the collaboration between private investors and local and state governments was instrumental in moving the project along.

“This project had been stuck for a long time, and so it wasn’t until we were able to start forging those partnerships creatively outside of our normal city board room that we were able to really move this forward,” she said.

This story was originally published June 23, 2020 at 5:48 PM.