South KC Perspective
Space Going Fast at Three Trails Industrial Park Off 71 Hwy
By John Sharp
Tenants are rapidly filling up the Three Trails Industrial Park located on about 180 acres on the south side of 87th St. just east of U.S. 71 Highway, and the third and final building there isn’t even finished yet.
The first 364,000 square-foot building is now fully leased as a national distribution center by Boulevard Brewing Co. which distributes its products in all or parts of 37 states and the District of Columbia, and Commonwealth, Inc., a Cincinnati logistics company that provides public and contract warehousing.
The second 331,000 square-foot building only has about 80,000 square feet of space available, according to Brent Miles, vice president of economic development for NorthPoint Development, a Kansas City based real estate development firm that owns the Class A industrial park built on and around a reclaimed mining site.
Current tenants of this building include Rensenhouse Electric Supply, a leading supplier of automation and commercial electrical products in the Kansas City area, and S.P. Richards Co., a major business products wholesaler in North America.
The third building in the industrial park is its largest at 495,000 square feet, and is expected to be finished in early spring. The foundation, floor and walls are in place, and Miles said roof installation will be done soon. He said about 345,000 square feet of space is still available for lease in the building.
Two tenants are already signed up for the building – Shuttlewagon, Inc., a Grandview company that designs and builds mobile rail car movers (small locomotives that move rail cars short distances) and A-J Manufacturing Co., Inc., a Kansas City company that specializes in making commercial stainless steel HVAC products with a strong emphasis on products designed for use in sterile environments.
Miles said when leased up the park should generate about 800 to 900 permanent jobs, with about 400 to 500 employees in the third building alone.
“You always want manufacturers,” Miles said. “They typically pay more than distributors because they hire more highly skilled workers.”
He pointed out manufacturers also are generally stable tenants since they usually install lots of heavy equipment that is not easy to move.
Miles said having ready access to U.S. 71, I-49, I-435 and I-470 is great for both distribution facilities such as Boulevard and Commonwealth and manufacturers such as Shuttlewagon and A-J Manufacturing.
Besides the highway access, Miles said other great advantages of locating in south Kansas City are the presence of a ready workforce and the attitude of neighborhood and community leaders toward economic development.
“I go all over the country to talk about our projects, and I went to a South Kansas City Alliance meeting with about 50 to 60 people there and I thought ‘Oh no’ since you usually get people with pitch forks when there’s a large crowd.
“But everybody was very supportive and asked what they could do to help,” he said.