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Council Approves Defense Plant Plan

Artist's conception of the planned $500 million defense plant. Click on this image for a larger view.
Rendering courtesy Planned Industrial Expansion Authority.
Artist's conception of the planned $500 million defense plant. Click on this image for a larger view.

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kcur/local-kcur-775977.mp3

Kansas City, MO – First-stage plans for a new $500 million plant to build non-nuclear parts for America's nuclear weapons cleared the Kansas City city council Thursday afternoon.

The facility, in the Richards-Gebaur area, would replace the Honeywell plant on Bannister road, which the government is abandoning as outmoded. Terry Riley, whose Planning and Zoning committee advanced the measure yesterday said a vote against the plant won't stop the nation from making nuclear weapons, but a vote for it can do a lot for Kansas City.

Riley said building the plant will provide the opportunity for 3,000 construction jobs to be created in Kansas City in addition to 2100 jobs paying over $50,000 a year at the plant.

The plan is for the city to offer incentives to a private developer who will then lease the plant to the government.

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