Leavenworth County Port Authority

The Leavenworth County Port Authority (LCPA) was established in 1969, as a special purpose governmental body, by the city of Leavenworth and the Leavenworth County Commissioners. The LCPA doesn’t operate any ports (i.e. river ports) but actively promotes economic development in Leavenworth County.  The LCPA is governed by a five member board who are appointed, for four-year staggered terms, jointly by the city of Leavenworth and County Commissioners. The board members are: Terry Andrews, Chairman; Ed Chapman, Jr., Secretary; Charlie Hill, Treasurer; Bill New, Vice-Chairman; and J.C. Tibbetts, Board Member.  Leavenworth County Development Corporation serves as the administrative staff. The LCPA's role in the economic development of Leavenworth County is to provide desirable and affordable developed land for manufacturing and commercial businesses locating or needing to relocate into larger buildings within Leavenworth County.

Can the Leavenworth County Port Authority Help You?

Industrial Sites
The LCPA owns two industrial business centers, one at 13th and Eisenhower Road in Leavenworth and one at U.S. Highway 24-40 and Laming Road in Tonganoxie.  The LCPA has developed these sites with all services for new buildings.  Individual sites range in size from just over one acre to 10 acres. Build to Suit: The LCPA can assist in the building of your new facility by:
1. As a government agency, LCPA does not have to pay sales tax on the construction of new buildings. This is about a $15,000 savings on a typical 10,000 sf building.
2. Seeking and receiving the lowest possible bids for the construction and financing of your building.  (The LCPA, as a qualifying special purpose government, borrows at preferred interest rates.)
3. Supervising the construction of the building so that it meets your specifications. You can trust the LCPA to handle the day-to-day headaches of constructing the facility.Build to Suit projects can be commercial, industrial or warehouse.  The projects can be on either of the LCPA owned business parks or they can be anywhere in Leavenworth County (zoning permitted). Lease-Purchase Advantage
Since the LCPA’s purpose is economic development and to encourage business investment and create jobs, the LCPA seeks no profit.  A typical lease-purchase, the base rental rate on a new building is based on the actual cost of the land and building, capitalized at a 15-year amortization and an interest rate the LCPA receives from the lowest bid, based on a five year term and 15-year amortization, by a Leavenworth County financial institution. The LCPA typically contributes 20-25 % of the cost in cash or land and borrows 75-80% from the financial institution. The LCPA enters a three year lease with two one-year options to extend the lease-purchase agreement.  The monthly cost is the base rent described above plus 20% additional rent.  The 20% is held by the LCPA until the tenant exercises his right to purchase the property, anytime during the first five years. The entire 20% is applied to the purchase price.  If the tenant fails to exercise the purchase option during the five year term, the tenant forfeits the additional 20% rent.

"Spec" Building Program
The LCPA recognizes the lack of available industrial and warehouse buildings.   In response, the LCPA has established a "spec" building program.  Without a purchaser or a tenant identified, the LCPA has built several industrial buildings on sites they own or have purchased.  The typical building is a metal 10,000 sf building, 100 feet by 100 feet, on a site that allows the building to be expanded to 20,000 or 30,000 sf.  The LCPA's objective is to have at least one "spec" building under construction or available for sale or lease. Top of page

Accomplishments and Current Development Summary

The Leavenworth County Port Authority (LCPA) in partnership with Leavenworth County Development Corporation (LCDC), a non-profit economic development corporation established in 1981, are involved with construction of spec buildings, commercial/industrial land development, direct assistance/marketing to new prospective business and expansion of existing business.  Prospect activity remains high including prospect visitations.   National surveys indicate that four out of every five businesses that locate or expand require or are attracted by an existing building ready to move into. In recent years the LCPA has taken the next step in promoting development by constructing industrial/warehouse buildings in anticipation of a specific commitment by a business user. This is called a "Spec Building Program." The Leavenworth economy is expanding so rapidly there are rarely empty available industrial buildings in Leavenworth County. Through partnership with LCPA the sales tax cost of new commercial/industrial construction can be reduced or eliminated, entry cost for new business can be reduced through lease-purchase financing and partial property tax exemption.  The LCPA will consider build to suit proposals in addition to building spec buildings at locations throughout the county.  Spec Building Projects: In 2006, the LCPA will begin construction on another spec building in the Urban Hess Industrial Park in Tonganoxie. In 2005. the LCPA constructed another 10,000 sq. Ft. metal industrial spec building in  the Gary E. Carlson Leavenworth Area Business Center. The building was sold to Canaan Stoneworks, who manufactures marble countertops. In 2002-2003, LCPA built a 10,000 sq. ft. metal industrial building in the J. Larkin Industrial Park in Lansing.  The building is leased to RFM Seating.  RFM, of Hillsboro, Oregon,  manufactures ergonomic office chairs. The LCPA has built a 10,000 sq ft metal industrial building in the Urban Hess Industrial Park in Tonganoxie, 15 miles south of Leavenworth. The building is occupied by S and S Alloy Steel Company. The LCPA in partnership with a local non-profit called The Workman Fund built a 30,600 sf industrial "spec building" in Leavenworth. The building is now committed for an expansion of Henke Manufacturing. With workers in such short supply, The Workman Fund can provide up to 40 "inmate" workers at minimum wage from the nearby Lansing Correctional Facility. Training programs are available and other "inmate" labor is already in use at Heatron, a heat element manufacturer; Henke Manufacturing, maker of snow plow equipment; and Zephyr Products, a manufacturer of various metal products. The LCPA recently sold a 10,000 sq ft metal industrial building in the Urban Hess Industrial Park in Tonganoxie. The building is the new home of Everlasting Specialties, a manufacturer/distributor of floral products. The building was built as a spec building and completed in July 1998. The LCPA built in 1997, a 10,000 sf spec metal industrial building in the Gary E. Carlson Leavenworth Area Business Center. It was used until September 2001 by Exhibit Transport, Inc. The building was sold in February 2002 to CompuChair, Inc. of Monroe, Washington. They manufacture a full line of executive and office chairs, sold throughout the United States. The LCPA sold a previously leased 40,000 sf metal industrial building completed in 1993 for an existing Leavenworth business. The building was later leased to a manufacturing company, Ronpak, until they closed in April 1998. Pueblo Chemical and Supply Company, a subsidiary of ConAgra purchased the building in December 1998. Top of page

Leavenworth County Port Authority Projects
Leavenworth & Urban Hess Business Centers & Others The below Property Valuations are for projects where only the LCPA/LCDC had direct involvement in land sales, building construction or project selection. The listing below of projects (since 1996), represents approximately 373 jobs and over $11 million of taxable value of property since 1996 involving the LCPA/LCDC.  The LCPA currently has a number of lots available for sale in two business parks in Leavenworth and Tonganoxie with a county appraiser's value of over $1 million.

Leavenworth & Urban Hess Business Centers & Others

The below Property Valuations are for projects where only the LCPA/LCDC had direct involvement in land sales, building construction or project selection.

The listing below of projects (since 1996), represents approximately 373 jobs and over $11 million of taxable value of property since 1996 involving the LCPA/LCDC. The LCPA currently has a number of lots available for sale in two business parks in Leavenworth and Tonganoxie with a county appraiser's value of over $1 million.

Note:
*Includes to be taxable due to pending sale or new construction
** LCPA/LCDC "Spec" building

Total Valuation of LCPA owned land remaining for sale: $ 1,000,000+