Hardesty Renaissance marked the official commencement of the redevelopment of the former Hardesty Federal Complex at a groundbreaking ceremony today at noon. Thanks to Councilman Scott Wagner, Councilman Jermaine Reed, State Representative John Rizzo, Former KCMO Mayor Kay Barnes, City Manager Troy Schulte, John Fierro/Mattie Rhodes Center, Bobbie Baker & Rebecca Koop/NE Chamber of Commerce, Bill Dana/Central Bank, Andrew Bracker/KC Brownfields, and many others, for all your work on this project.
In 2011, Hardesty Renaissance closed on the strategic purchase of a property that had been vacant for over 10 years-–a former Federal complex situated in the Historic Northeast community of Kansas City, MO. The former Federal complex is an 18 acres site adjacent to the Kansas City Terminal Railroad, with 572,000 square feet of space in its collective six buildings. Built in 1941 as a Quartermaster’s Depot, the complex served many government purposes until 2002, when its last operator, the FAA, was transferred out of the complex.
Existing property
Hardesty Renaissance’s vision is to revitalize the site: create new jobs and a destination that becomes a catalyst for redevelopment in Northeast KC, propelling it’s transformation into a sustainable place for all. Their redevelopment success will result in a model for large-scale, industrial-type sites that AAFE can replicate, revitalize and transform in other cities throughout the country.
Future site rendering
Hardesty Renaissance EDC is a Missouri registered not-for-profit corporation formed in 2011. Its parent company, Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE), has a long and successful community development track record dating back to 1974, when the organization first advocated for equal employment, and throughout its years, has now developed over 700 units of affordable housing, established two Community Development Fund Institutions (CDFIs), one of which is a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank of NY, and is a NeighborWorks America charter member.
Hardesty Renaissance has invested two years in developing relationships with the local community, government, and other not-for-profit and civic organizations, while carefully researching potential development opportunities that could deliver their vision. To date, two (2) studies have been completed with the objective of identifying value-added site uses for the Hardesty complex.
The first, completed in the first half of 2013, was authored by the Port Authority of Kansas City. This study confirmed the potential for food hub (refer to USDA.gov definition) type operations. The second study – partly funded by a Mid America Resource Council Planning Sustainable Places grant – identifies gaps in our region’s food system that could be filled by operators based from the Hardesty site. (This report is accessible through the MARC.org website.) In 2014, Hardesty will begin to develop business and financial plans built on the foundation of the two market and supply chain studies completed.
In the immediate future, they will begin with the first phase site development work to clean up the largest building (210,000 sq feet) on the site (Building 11), and to complete a partial rehab – to create a workspace, exhibit, and community meeting area – with a target completion date of Spring 2014. This will represent two major milestones: allow us to show our amazing building space to potential tenants, operators, or partners; and bring light and human activity back to the complex for the first time in twelve years.
Hardesty Renaissance relies on a strong Kansas City development team through partnerships with:
• El Dorado Architects; design
• Mattie Rhodes Center; not-for-profit partner
• Benton, Lloyd and Chung LLP; counsel
• Taliaferro and Browne; engineering
• Terracon; environmental consultants
For more information, visit the Asian Americans for Equality website or Jim Turner
Address- 607 Hardesty Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64124
Phone- (816) 922-0273