The rehabilitation of World War II-era housing could lead to more affordable options near Panasonic’s 4,000-job electric-vehicle battery plant in De Soto. Wheatland Investments Group submitted an application to the city to create a Kansas Rural Housing Incentive District (RHID) covering the Clearview Village apartment complex at 36000 W 103rd St. Clearview Village, formerly known as Sunflower Village, was built in 1943 to meet the housing needs of military members working at the Sunflower Army Ammunition plant. The housing complex sits across from Panasonic’s $4 billion, 4.7-million-square-foot plant on the opposite side of 103rd Street. The ammunition plant was decommissioned in 1992, but the housing development remained. In 2014, the property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places to tap historic tax credits. According to the RHID application, roughly 9% of De Soto’s almost 6,500 residents live at Clearview. The developer plans to renovate 242 existing apartments and build 99 new units. The project is estimated to cost $55 million, including about $24 million in infrastructure upgrades. An RHID allows a city to steer property tax gains created by a new development to pay for eligible infrastructure improvements. At Clearview, those improvements would include: Repairing and replacing storm and sanitary sewers, Replacing water lines, Installing fire hydrants, Adding a water connection point on Sunflower, and Road Resurfacing and repairing streets in the project site. The proposed RHID is expected to generate approximately $13.7 million over a 25-year term. In May, the project was awarded a 4% Low-Income Housing Tax Credit from Kansas Housing Resources Corp. After the renovation, all units in the complex will be converted to affordable housing, with rents earmarked for tenants earning between 30% to 80% of the average median income. A lagoon system is being used for sewer treatment for Clearview residents. In July, the city approved a request from Sunflower Redevelopment Group to create a special benefit district to install a new sewer line to serve the former Sunflower Army Ammunition plant property, now known as Astra Enterprise Park. The $10.6 million line will stretch about 2.8 miles from north of 95th Street southwest toward Astra Parkway and will be paid for using a special assessment levied against property owners in the district. A $60,000 special assessment would be levied against the Clearview property annually to pay for the new sewer line. If the new sewer line is not installed by the time the first new Clearview apartment is complete, the developer wants the city to approve plans for a new wastewater lagoon to be used at the site for three years before tying into the wastewater system. The City Council has not yet set a date to vote on Wheatland’s incentive application. If plans are approved, the developer would begin work in January, with construction expected to wrap up by June 2027. The renovation of Clearview is intended to help ease the demand for additional housing in De Soto. Panasonic plans to begin producing lithium ion batteries at the plant in the first quarter of 2025. At full capacity, the Japanese manufacturer aims to operate on a 24/7 schedule, with employees working in four 12-hour shifts. In March, H&T Recharge announced plans to install four automated battery can production lines within the Panasonic plant, which will create 100 additional jobs.
Source: Kansas City Business Journal
