The Allen Group, one of the nation's leading Inland Port development companies, received final approval from the Johnson County Board of Commissioners for a public infrastructure Plan of Finance supporting the new intermodal and logistics park development. This came on the heals of the City of Gardner's approval of the same Plan of Finance, Annexation and Development Agreements supporting the creation of Logistics Park Kansas City (LPKC).

The Annexation and Development Agreements, in combination with the public infrastructure Plan of Finance, set forth three separate stages of public infrastructure improvements totaling approximately $52 million. The first stage of improvements will include $14 million to connect 191st Street to Interstate 35 allowing the first 200 acres to be developed. Construction for the road improvements on 191st Street will begin in early 2009. The State of Kansas has also made an initial commitment of $3 million to improve the existing Gardner Road and Interstate 35 Interchange. A new interchange is planned by Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT).

'This was an important milestone in the development of Logistics Park Kansas City,' said Bill Crandall, President of The Allen Group's Kansas City operations. 'With all local regulatory requirements completed, this will allow us the opportunity to create development ready-sites to meet what we believe is pent-up demand for modern distribution and warehouse facilities in southern Johnson County, Kansas.'

Logistics Park Kansas City is a 600 acre Inland Port logistics park separate from, but adjacent to, the future BNSF Intermodal Facility in Gardner, Kansas. At full build-out, the park will have more than 7.1 million square feet of LEED certified distribution and warehouse facilities, creating over 7,000 new direct and indirect jobs and providing a one billion dollar economic impact for the State of Kansas.