Panasonic plant spurs 800-unit apartment and retail proposal in once-quiet De Soto
A large mixed-use development in De Soto aims at alleviating housing concerns for workers and families near the new Panasonic electric vehicle battery plant. At a meeting last month, the De Soto City Council discussed an Economic Incentive Application from Lawrence-based Williams Management LLC for a $250 million, 78-acre mixed-use development that will include multifamily residential units and commercial retail space. No action was taken by the council. The development is planned for a site along the southwest side of 95th Street, a half-mile west of Lexington Avenue. Adam Williams, owner of Williams Management, said there is a need for housing in De Soto, especially with expectations that the $4 billion, 300-acre facility will employ an estimated 4,000 employees. “I’m not sure many people were looking at De Soto for development prior to Panasonic,” he said. “Now that it’s been announced and with the activity that’s there, I think it’s going to do nothing but grow the area, and we want to be a part of that.” De Soto Mayor Rick Walker expects employees at Panasonic will be a mixture of local residents and commuters living outside the city. Regardless of where they’re coming from, he said the need for housing is something that’s been weighing on the city. “There’s been a lot of residential pressure for (housing), even before the Panasonic announcement,” he said. “(Panasonic) has heightened it.” At last month’s city council meeting, Williams provided a preliminary sketch of the 1-million-square-foot development. It will feature about 800 housing units, including one- and two-bedroom apartments, housing for older adults and townhomes. If approved, it would be built in four phases, with an anticipated completion date of 2030.
Source: Johnson County Post
