Cerner Corp. Enters Agreement to Purchase 237-Acre Bannister Mall Site

By Gabriel Circiog, Associate Editor

Cerner Corp., one of the world’s top healthcare software developers, recently announced that it has entered into an agreement to purchase approximately 237 acres of land on the site of the former Bannister Mall, in the Three Trails Crossing region.

The company plans to use the site to accommodate its expected growth. Currently Cerner employs 2,866 associates at its Innovation campus and has a total of 8,794 employees in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The new site aims to be an extension of the nearby Innovation campus, and it could potentially house between 12,000 and 15,000 additional associates upon build-out.

The magnitude of the construction would be based on Cerner’s growth and would occur over an extended period. The company anticipates that the extended campus would feature an on-site daycare center, a clinic for associates, fitness facilities, food service and training spaces. Depending on the needs of the company, it could also house data centers. Cerner could also make available a portion of the site for retail, restaurant or hotel development.

Commenting on the announcement, Kansas City Mayor Sly James said: “This is a great step forward for the former Bannister Mall site. South Kansas City has been on an impressive forward trajectory in recent months, but this site has remained an issue. Redeveloping the Three Trails Crossing region into a Cerner property will turn that area into a beacon of innovation. Cerner is a valuable community partner and I deeply appreciate the company’s commitment to our City. We look forward to working with Cerner to finalize a plan soon.”

“From Day One, my administration has pursued proven, fiscally responsible policies to make Missouri a more attractive place for high-tech, high-growth companies like Cerner to invest and expand,” Missouri Governor Jay Nixon said. “Today, we continue to see the results of this approach paying real dividends for communities in Kansas City and across our state. My administration will continue to work with Cerner and local officials as plans for this transformative project proceed.”

In other local news, IBC North America and Clean Tide Container are set to co-open a new facility in Chillicothe to manufacture and refurbish intermediate bulk containers. The sister companies will invest over $5 million in the new 50,000-square-foot facility, an expansion project which will create 87 new jobs.

“The entire Kansas City region celebrates this announcement today along with the addition of more than 80 skilled manufacturing jobs,” said Bob Marcusse, president and CEO, Kansas City Area Development Council. “American manufacturing is alive and well, and the KC region is an ideal location for the industry to grow.”

Photo Courtesy of: laflaneuse via flickr.com