Port KC

The public agency voted to issue nearly $1.5 billion in bonds and tax breaks to Gillon Property Group early this week. Jon Stephens, the president and CEO of Port KC, says the deal is critical to the revitalization of the historic Plaza neighborhood.

Port KC’s Board of Commissioners approved an economic development package for Dallas-based Gillon Property Group’s plan to revitalize the historic Country Club Plaza. The leader of Kansas City Public Schools says the deal fails to meet their needs.

A plan to renovate the Country Club Plaza is being reviewed by the Kansas City Council. Some neighbors and historic preservation advocates have concerns.

For five years, Kansas City has required developers to set aside affordable housing units if they get a tax break — but Port KC undermined that rule by offering its own incentives. Under a proposal by Mayor Quinton Lucas, Kansas City Council is considering slashing the fee by 95%.

Federal officials first toured the building in January, sparking speculation over whether the owners had sold the building to the U.S. government. Media reports suggested the sale was part of a push to use warehouses across the country as immigration detention centers.

The Port Authority of Kansas City voted unanimously this week to cut ties with Platform Ventures, after learning of the developer's plans to sell a massive warehouse in south Kansas City to the federal government for use as a mass immigrant detention facility.

The Greater Kansas City Building and Construction Trades Council wants the Port Authority of Kansas City to pass rules that ensure workers on projects funded by the port will earn a good wage and be part of work training programs.

Port KC commissioners voted to terminate and refrain from any negotiations with Platform Ventures. The company owns a south Kansas City warehouse rumored to be part of a federal plan to convert such spaces into immigration detention facilities.

Platform Ventures, owned by Ryan and Terry Anderson, pitched a warehouse development as a job creator for south Kansas City. Port KC says the company went behind its back to strike a deal with ICE, which would undermine job growth in the area.

A bargain-basement price. A property tax break. An infrastructure incentive. A property assessment appeal. The Plaza’s new owners have pushed several financial levers to craft a potentially lucrative redevelopment plan.

Officials from Kansas City Public Schools and the Kansas City Public Library joined a chorus of public comments that prompted the delay.

Under the new ownership of Dallas-based Gillon Property Group, a plan to revitalize Kansas City's Country Club Plaza is underway. Now, city officials and community leaders are facing a massive tax incentive request that they worry could hurt Kansas City Public Schools and other government services.