The development of Flint Commerce Center, a 370-acre master-planned industrial and logistics park in De Soto, Kansas, kicked off last year with the signing of a 509,760-square-foot deal by Panasonic.
After Flint Development acquired the site, Panasonic announced De Soto as the home of its new electric vehicle battery factory less than a mile away and subsequently announced investment and expansion in the area by agreeing to lease the space within the to-be-constructed Building C at Flint Commerce Center. Panasonic will occupy half of the building, leaving an additional 509,760 square feet for a future tenant that will continue De Soto’s growth as a major logistics and manufacturing hub.
For that reason, the deal received a 2024 CoStar Impact Award for lease of the year. The winners are chosen by independent panels of industry professionals who work in the markets they judge.
The battery manufacturing facility is a critical part of Panasonic’s investment in the United States to expand EV battery production capacity. This project creates new jobs and is expected to bolster the economy and manufacturing in the De Soto region and across Kansas.
About the Project: Building C is a planned cross-dock logistics facility that commenced construction in August and is scheduled to be completed this summer. The campus is expected to house 5 million square feet to 6 million square feet of building space with light assembly, manufacturing, warehousing and distribution use targeted.
What the Judges Said: “The lease represents an abundance of continuing need by Panasonic in the battery manufacturing industry and kicks off a 1 million-square-foot facility that will provide additional space to attract other potential vendors to the area," said Greg Swetnam, principal and director of office brokerage at Kessinger Hunter & Co. "This is just the beginning of many types of development to that area that will attract all types of economic development to Johnson County and the state of Kansas."
They Made It Happen: Mark Long, John Hassler and Scott Bluhm of Newmark Zimmer and Joseph Accurso of Cushman & Wakefield.