Kansas City’s port authority works to lift all boats in the city

Port KC’s efforts to drive Kansas City’s economic development have attracted some recent attention — specifically its role in attracting two U.S. Department of Agriculture agencies to Kansas City.

This was likely the first time some people became aware that Kansas City even has a port authority. The authority was created by, and is connected to, the state of Missouri, but the organization is governed by a board of citizens appointed by the mayor. Our port district includes the entire city limits of Kansas City, which is why we work throughout the city and not just on projects geographically connected to the river. I am privileged to have spent more than one year as its CEO and leader.

Being a port means being a connector, and connecting in ways that bring progress, activity and energy — not just on the water, but throughout the entire city. Everything we do must align with our purpose, which is to be agile and efficient with our partnerships to attract and grow quality jobs, which will create more economic opportunities for our city.

To help attract the USDA, we established what’s known as an Advanced Industrial Manufacturing or AIM Zone. Missouri created the AIM program to generate revenue for vital port infrastructure, and it supports attracting new jobs to the state. AIM Zones work by returning a portion of state tax collections to local port authorities. We designate 100% of our revenue to address a fraction of the more than $50 million worth of failed and failing infrastructure on our river. With this reinvestment, we support Kansas City industry, helping make its businesses globally competitive and connected. This reinvestment showcases how we return investment to the local community and our aging infrastructure.

As a transportation and logistics organization, we reclaim and revitalize places such as Richards-Gebaur Commerce Park. This former airbase in south Kansas City is now a thriving intermodal hub with more than 30 businesses calling it home — mostly small, local industrial and manufacturing companies. Another example of our function as a port authority is the work we did to reclaim and reopen the long-neglected and failed port in the West Bottoms. It’s now the fastest-growing port in the Midwest.

On the Missouri River in downtown Kansas City is Berkley Riverfront Park. There, we focused on land redevelopment, transforming 55 acres of neglected and hazardous land into a thriving park with a trail network, the ever-popular Bar K Dog Park and hundreds of quality apartments. This newly-created neighborhood has welcomed hundreds of residents, and it stands to double that in the coming months.

And currently, we’re in the process of turning a long-abandoned former steel mill in the Blue River corridor into a new intermodal center that will serve as a catalyst for attracting industry and well-paying jobs to the long-neglected East Side of Kansas City. It has the potential to create our greatest impact yet.

Any agency that grants tax incentives almost always attracts controversy. We have leveraged hundreds of millions of private dollars by issuing bonds — bonds that are never backed by taxpayers. We then turn those investments into business growth and job attraction. We do offer property tax exemptions on some projects, and a public discussion about this is vital to make certain that all agencies are good stewards of public investment and public trust.

While I am confident that we have led well in this area, we must do more. That is why we are moving toward a much-needed “social equity” consideration of future projects. In the coming months, you will see us focus on more workforce and affordable housing projects, and on redevelopments in communities of need, with the goal of creating quality jobs for the people who live in those neighborhoods.

We look forward to engaging in many more conversations about our role, and about the ways Port KC will work to create a more equitable and desirable place for all Kansas Citians.

Jon D. Stephens is president and CEO of Port KC, Kansas City’s port authority.

This story was originally published November 13, 2019 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Kansas City’s port authority works to lift all boats in the city."