Platform Ventures pitched a massive warehouse development at the former Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base as a job creator for south Kansas City. Now, Port KC leaders say the company quietly moved to sell the facility to the federal government for use as a large-scale immigrant detention center — a move they say undercuts years of public investment and economic planning.
When Platform Ventures approached the Port Authority of Kansas City in 2021 seeking tax incentives for an industrial campus, the developer promised to “bring jobs back” to south Kansas City. The company proposed a 1-million-square-foot warehouse at the 49 Crossing industrial center and projected up to 500 new jobs, along with long-term property tax revenue for local governments and the Grandview School District.
In return, Port KC agreed to provide a 20-year property tax incentive to support redevelopment of the former air base.
What Port KC leaders say they never anticipated was the possibility that the warehouse could later be sold to the federal government and converted into a massive detention facility capable of housing thousands of immigrants.
Port KC CEO Jon Stephens said the agency learned on Jan. 15 that federal officials from the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement had toured the warehouse at 14901 Botts Road — the same day the news became public.
“The thing that has been so shocking to me,” Stephens said, “is that with this action, there was zero communication, zero follow-up. It has been complete radio silence.”
Jackson County Legislator Manny Abarca IV later confirmed that the federal government was negotiating with Platform Ventures to purchase the facility and convert it into a detention center that could hold as many as 7,500 people.
The revelation sparked swift backlash from local leaders, including Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and City Councilmember Johnathan Duncan, whose district includes the site. The City Council voted that same day to impose a five-year moratorium on non-municipal detention facilities — a move that could trigger legal challenges if the federal government proceeds.
In a statement, Platform Ventures said it had received an offer in October 2025 and had a “fiduciary duty” to explore it. The company said it does not question buyers about intended uses and would not engage in speculation about future operations.
The warehouse at the center of the controversy, known as Building 7, was completed in late 2023 at a cost of about $80 million. It received a 20-year tax incentive in 2022 through Port KC, which technically owns the land as part of the incentive structure.
Under the agreement, Port KC purchased the land and leased it back to Platform Ventures. Because Port KC is a government entity, the land is exempt from property taxes. Instead, Platform Ventures agreed to make payments in lieu of taxes, or PILOTs.
The deal gave Platform Ventures a 95% property tax reduction until 2032, with gradually increasing payments until the incentive expires in 2042, when the land title would transfer fully to the developer.
So far, Platform Ventures has paid about $267,000 in PILOTs. Over the life of the agreement, the company was expected to pay roughly $8.1 million — far less than the $29 million it would have owed without the incentive.
If the warehouse is sold to the federal government, Port KC officials say local taxing jurisdictions will lose the remaining $8.1 million, and the property will never return to the tax rolls because federal property is tax-exempt.
The Grandview School District would also lose annual “community benefit” payments totaling more than $200,000 over the next six years.
Port KC General Counsel Brian Rabineau said the agency has little authority to stop the sale. Under the development agreement, Platform Ventures has the right to reclaim full title to the land at any time by terminating the agreement — a process that triggers a mandatory 90-day transfer.
“They’ve already made that request,” Rabineau said. “We have literally no say.”
Port KC’s only ability to block the transfer would be if Platform Ventures had violated the agreement by failing to build the warehouse or missing required payments — neither of which applies.
Stephens said the proposed detention center threatens the long-term vision for 49 Crossing as a logistics and manufacturing hub tied to rail access and industrial growth.
“A detention facility could have a strong detrimental effect on future job growth,” he said, “and on the businesses already operating there.”
After learning of the plans, Stephens said he reached out to Platform Ventures’ co-presidents, Ryan and Terry Anderson, but has received no response. Port KC has since halted all negotiations with the company for future development at the site.
City Councilmember Duncan said the situation highlights a broader concern about public incentives being used in ways that undermine community goals.
“The only reason this business exists and has been successful is because of massive public investment,” Duncan said. “And now that investment is being jeopardized.”
This story was originally published by The Beacon, a member of the KC Media Collective.