Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Lenexa reports $490 million in 2024 permitted development; pipeline holds $222 million
Summary
Lenexa’s economic development representatives told the City Council that 2024 produced $490 million in permitted development and a $222 million pipeline, with growth across industrial, commercial and residential sectors and continuing attention to power and workforce constraints.
Lenexa’s Chamber and Economic Development Council reported that the city issued $490,000,000 in permitted development in 2024 and finished the year with roughly $222,000,000 in active development pipeline, a presenter told the City Council during a semiannual update.
The report, delivered by Ashley Sherrard on behalf of the Lenexa Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Council, said commercial and residential investment were nearly even in 2024 — about $247 million and $243 million respectively — and that the city issued the highest number of single-family home permits since 2018.
Sherrard said the 2024 total is the city’s second-highest annual permitted development figure and that combined with 2023’s $663 million it represents more than $1.15 billion in investment over two years. She listed major 2024 permits including the AC and Residence Inn by Marriott, Keywood Office Building 3, DataBank expansion in Southlake, AdventHealth medical office building, St. James Academy stadium, Alto apartments and Timber Rock assisted senior living.
Why it matters: officials said sustained development shows Lenexa’s competitiveness for industrial, office and retail projects even as national headwinds — higher interest rates, construction costs and supply-chain issues — slowed some new investments.
Sherrard told the council the region’s industrial market remains one of the nation’s top 15, helping keep Lenexa visible to manufacturing, warehousing and distribution prospects. She said many projects that paused late in 2024 did so because of broader economic and political uncertainty but that the city’s pipeline remains anchored by expansions from companies already in the region.
The presentation named several local projects and employers involved in retention and expansion work, including Motion Industries, Camfil USA (which acquired Ram Air), Equipment Share, Performance Contracting Inc., Eurofins Biocore and Biopharma Sales. Sherrard also noted recent site visits by the Kansas Department of Commerce and the Kansas City Area Development Council as continuing marketing efforts.
The report flagged power infrastructure as an emerging constraint for large industrial projects: long lead times for electrical equipment and limited capacity can make some sites uncompetitive, Sherrard said. She also pointed to labor-market shifts and noted Panasonic’s new operation in the area, which had hired about 400 workers and was in the process of hiring another 400 as it ramps up.
Council comments during the update commended staff and partners for the work; one councilmember thanked Sherrard and her team for their Topeka advocacy and outreach.
Ending: Sherrard closed by urging continued partnership between private-sector advocates and city staff to keep Lenexa competitive as national conditions evolve; she said staff will continue tracking project viability and regional market signals.
