By Leslie Collins
Northeast News
August 10, 2011

For 11 years the former Hardesty Federal Complex has sat vacant, but soon that may change.

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Internet auction for the complex is now closed and the highest bid totaled approximately $500,000.

That bid belongs to a residential redeveloper who’s looking to become involved in commercial redevelopment.

City of Kansas City Council member Scott Wagner said the developer has redeveloped areas across the U.S.

“The high bidder is now having to do their due diligence,” Wagner said.

Within the next two weeks, the developer will need to submit a business plan and decide whether or not to purchase the complex. This phase also allows the high bidder to learn more about the environmental issues associated with the property.

Located at 601 Hardesty and spanning approximately 18 acres, the complex was originally built during WWII and used as an Army Quartermaster Depot. Building 6 of the Hardesty Federal Complex served as a clothing treatment/renovation plant as part of the Chemical Warfare Service Project. There, employees treated Army uniforms with “Impregnate I” to protect the uniforms from chemicals like mustard gas.

Since then, the buildings have housed a number of agencies ranging from the Commerce Department to the Environmental Protection Agency, among others.

Environmental issues are still associated with the property, including asbestos, Wagner said.

Wagner recently toured the site and said in addition to the age related deterioration, the site has become victim to vandals who stripped the buildings of copper and iron.

“The removal (of copper and iron) has been extensive,” he said. “It’s certainly not a turnkey property. It’s one that has to be worked on and you really have to have a plan to work on it. Time has not been kind to it.”

Asked what he’d like to see the site used for, Wagner said an office or business park that would also attract green businesses.

If the bidders fall through, Wagner said the city will develop a re-use plan and try to make it work.

Asked why it’s important to renovate the complex and find a new use, Wagner said, “I think it’s important because its endemic of Northeast in general the fact that that space has just been left.

“If we want to talk about redevelopment and bringing more jobs and dealing with the issues that Northeast has to deal with, then this is one very public way to have an impact on job development, on economic development.

“It’s high time that people actually started to pay some attention to the Northeast area and to me, this is a great place to start.”