Transfer of NNSA's Bannister Federal Complex Substantially Complete with Missouri Governor's Approval of Property Transfer
KANSAS CITY, MO. - Today, the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) announced that Missouri Governor Eric R. Greitens formally granted approval for the federal government to transfer excess federal property at the Bannister Federal Complex (Bannister) and NNSA finalized its Environmental Services Cooperative Agreement with Bannister Transformation and Redevelopment LLC (BT&D). Both the Governor's approval and the finalization of the Cooperative Agreement paves the way for NNSA to take the final step of transferring the property deed to the new property owner, currently scheduled in mid-November.
"NNSA is proud to honor our commitment to the Missouri Congressional delegation, the state of Missouri and the local community. We fully support redeveloping the former Kansas City Plant," said NNSA Administrator Frank Klotz. "The decision to transfer the property to a private developer will save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars compared to the cost if the government were to complete this decommissioning on its own."
"We want to create more jobs and opportunities for the people of Missouri," said Governor Greitens. "By transferring this surplus federal property to the private sector, the developer anticipates more than 1,000 jobs will be created from start of the project to finish. In addition to creating new jobs, the overall economic impact of this project will be millions of dollars."
Federal law prohibits the transfer of environmentally contaminated federal property without meeting rigorous regulatory oversight requirements, including securing the governor's approval.
BT&D has retained CenterPoint to serve as Project Manager for the demolition and remediation phase, which is expected to take up to six years. This approval allows for NNSA to transfer the title to BT&D, which will demolish obsolete facilities and environmentally restore the property in association with CenterPoint. BT&D is independently owned and is wholly focused on the redevelopment of the property. BT&D notes that the property is ideally situated for future development of modern manufacturing and industrial buildings, but the final decision for use of the property will depend on customer requirements.
"Transferring this surplus federal property to a private developer for demolition and remediation will allow for a faster, more efficient transformation and repurposing of this site," said Missouri Department of Natural Resources Director Carol S. Comer. "The economic impacts of this project are a great example of Missouri balancing a healthy environment with a healthy economy to thrive."
"We wouldn't have been successful without support from a number of local, state, and federal government agencies and representatives. This truly is a team effort," said NNSA Field Office Manager Mark Holecek. "We worked hard to keep our promise to the residents in Kansas City that the neighborhoods surrounding Bannister would benefit from a property that is redeveloped.'
"This is a great step forward for Kansas City," said Kansas City Mayor Sly James. "What this represents for the quality of life is jobs, economic growth and activity - as well as a transformational project in the heart of South Kansas City."
"We are excited to have the Governor's and Mayor's support and to start the real work of redeveloping Bannister," said BT&D representative Kevin Breslin. "Our team has spent the past three years studying the property and planning this effort. We are primed and ready to start work on the project when we take title to the property by November 15th. We look forward to our continued partnership with NNSA as well as federal and state regulators to ensure we complete the environmentally responsible redevelopment of this property."
For more than 70 years, the approximately 300-acre Bannister Federal Complex, located in South Kansas City, has been a major employer and served the nation in support of national security and business administrative services. The two federal owners at Bannister are the DOE and the General Services Administration (GSA). Employees at the DOE-owned Kansas City Plant relocated eight miles south to the Kansas City National Security Campus in 2014 and GSA employees relocated to downtown offices in early 2015.
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Established by Congress in 2000, NNSA is a semi-autonomous agency within the U.S. Department of Energy responsible for enhancing national security through the military application of nuclear science. NNSA maintains and enhances the safety, security, and effectiveness of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile without nuclear explosive testing; works to reduce the global danger from weapons of mass destruction; provides the U.S. Navy with safe and effective nuclear propulsion; and responds to nuclear and radiological emergencies in the U.S. and abroad. Visit www.nnsa.energy.gov for more information.
