By Paul Thompson

Northeast News

Slowly but surely, the Hardesty Renaissance Economic Development Corporation (HREDC) is gaining access to the former Hardesty Federal Complex.

Building 10 is the latest structure to be released to HREDC, as an interior Brownfields clean-up was recently completed. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has determined that Building 10 is now free of lead and asbestos, making it the second building on the campus to be cleared of environmental hazards. The 90,000 square-foot structure follows Building 11, a 210,000 square-foot facility, in being released to HREDC for potential development.

Hardesty Renaissance EDC Director Charlie Hopper told the Northeast News in late June that he expected to announce the initial tenants for Building 11 by the fall of 2017. Hopper suggested that tenants could include education-based focuses around food and agriculture, along with wellness and education sciences. Northwest Missouri State has already signed on to open a satellite campus at the complex that will house an urban agriculture program, and Hopper suggested this week that a handful of other substantial partnerships are nearing the finish line. Hopper hopes to have the Hardesty Renaissance development up and active by January 1, 2019, and he is expected to provide a progress report to Northeast Alliance Together (NEAT) during its 8:30 a.m. meeting on Thursday, September 21 at the North-East branch of the Kansas City Public Library (6000 Wilson Rd.)

“By 2019, you’re going to have a good chunk of the site active and people moving in,” Hopper said in late June. “People are going to see real change. They’re going to see people hired from the community, they’re going to see people working here, they’re going to see an impact in the businesses surrounding here.”

HREDC allowed the Northeast News into Building 10 on the morning of Tuesday, September 19. Here are some photos of the tour: