Panasonic Expands Footprint Near $4B Battery Plant

Panasonic’s battery plant in De Soto, Kan. The Japanese conglomerate leased space at Flint Commerce Center, one mile away from its upcoming manufacturing facility. Image courtesy of Panasonic

Panasonic Energy Co. has signed a lease at Flint Commerce Center in De Soto, Kan., to occupy 509,760 square feet, the Kansas City Business Journal reported. Developed by Flint Development, the 370-acre industrial park is currently underway, with completion anticipated for next summer.

In the past two years, the city granted several authorizations for the project. In late 2021, the De Soto City Council approved a memorandum of understanding for the development, which was set to encompass roughly 3.5 million square feet. A couple of months later, Flint Development requested $100 million in industrial revenue bonds to build a 1 million-square-foot facility at the industrial complex. By mid-2022, the project, now upgraded to comprise 4.7 million square feet, was finally approved in its entirety.

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Valued at $390 million, Flint Commerce Center is being developed in multiple phases and will encompass six buildings, ranging from 300,000 to 1.3 million square feet. The first phase of the development is set to include the 1 million-square-foot Building C where Panasonic will occupy half of the space. Eudora Times reported that the facility will feature 50 dock doors, 254 car parking spaces and 251 trailer parking stalls. The development team includes Contegra Construction and Davidson Architecture and Engineering.

President & CEO Mark Long, Executive Managing Director John Hassler and Managing Director Scott Bluhm with Newmark Zimmer represented Flint Development in the lease transaction.

Industrial development in Greater Kansas City is booming

Flint Commerce Center is taking shape at the corner of 103rd St. and Edgerton Road, 30 miles from Kansas City, Mo. The industrial complex will be a mile away from Panasonic’s $4 billion battery plant, which is currently being developed at the Astra Enterprise Park by Turner Construction Co. and Yates Construction.

Greater Kansas City has several large industrial projects currently underway. Block Real Estate Services received city approvals for Tiffany Springs Logistics Park, a 3.7 million-square-foot project in Kansas City, while Hunt Midwest broke ground on KCI 29 Logistics Park, a 3,300-acre industrial campus slated for completion by mid-2025. Additionally, Cnano Technology USA is establishing its North American headquarters in New Century, Kan., at New Century Commerce Center, an 850-acre center developed through a public-private partnership with Johnson County Government, the Johnson County Airport Commission and master developer VanTrust Real Estate.