By Murrel Bland
Agenda items on the Unified Governments Planning Commission meeting Monday, May 9 revealed details of who would be developing 800 acres along the Turner Diagonal from State Avenue to K-32.
The developer listed on the public records at the meeting was Seefried Industrial Properties, based in Atlanta with offices in Dallas. That organization sought and received changes in zoning on property owned by North Point Development. That property near 69th Street and Riverview Avenue is called Turner Commerce Center that includes about 100 acres.
Brent Miles, a vice president with North Point, spoke in favor of the change. Miles is a former president of the Wyandotte Economic Development Council.
Turner Commerce Center originally proposed three buildings. The Planning Commission approved a change for one building that would have 850,000 square feet of floor space.
Seefried is seeking this property from North Point as part of a much larger acquisition that could, when built out, employee 4,000 or more persons.
According to its website, Seefried leases or manages nearly 23 million square feet of floor space in the United States and other countries. Twenty five of the largest freight forwarders have partnered with Seefried as well as major retailers and e-commerce businesses.
Major upgrades in this infrastructure will be necessary for this project. Recently the Unified Government, in cooperation with the Kansas Department of Commerce, has applied for a federal grant that would help with road improvements in this area along the Turner Diagonal. Business West recently sent a letter to Anthony Foxx, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, urging him to approve this grant.
Murrel Bland is the former editor of The Wyandotte West and The Piper Press. He is the executive director of Business West.