[CPEO-MEF] Developer Wants to Turn Former Munitions Plant into New Community

[CPEO Moderator <cpeo@cpeo.org>]

Kansas
KCTV-5 NEWS
Developer Wants to Turn Former Munitions Plant into New Community
Oct. 3, 2003

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) -- A developer is seeking exclusive rights to turn the
former Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant near De Soto into a new community
that would include a life sciences and technology research park.

Johnson County officials, who got their first look at the plan Thursday,
insisted there was no preordained deal to have Kessinger/Hunter develop
the 9,065-acre site into a new community the size of Leawood. It would
include a research park that the Kansas Board of Regents would help
create.

"But," Don Jarrett, chief legal counsel for the Johnson County Board of
Commissioners, said, "now is the time if there are any folks out there
to come forth and express any interest in developing Sunflower."

Commissioners have agreed to give serious developers with a business
plan and the capital until Nov. 15 to make their intentions known.

In a Sept. 23 letter, Charles Hunter, chairman of Kansas City, Mo.-based
Kessinger/Hunter, said that if his firm is to proceed with cleanup of
byproducts from munitions manufacturing and with development efforts,
the county must deal with no other developer. The letter also called for
the county to take title to the land and to have the transaction details
completed by Dec. 31.

This article can be viewed at:
http://www.kctv5.com/Global/story.asp?S=1468297&nav=1PuZIL6h

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