While the city hosted a training session to help existing businesses, Mark Turnbull said the city continued to search for a new business to take up residence in the old Superior Industries building.
Turnbull, Pittsburg economic development director, said the city was still working with the Kansas Department of Commerce, and had conducted multiple out-of-city meetings to discuss the building with site consultants.
“I think that things have gone well,” Turnbull said. “We have continued to have people, through our efforts, take a look at the Superior building. And the more opportunities you have, the better off you are.”
The 500,000-square-foot facility located at 1500 E. 27th Terr. comes with an asking price of $6 million, and has been vacant since Superior closed its doors last December. Turnbull has said the city is marketing the facility both on local and national levels in an attempt to drum up more interest.
“We are working toward getting that facility out there and having people see that,” Turnbull said. “And we will continue to complete RFPs (Requests For Proposals). We completed another one just last week.
“That’s the standard way that we can seek businesses, whether it be for the Superior facility or for a new facility in one of our business industrial parks,” Turnbull said.
Turnbull has said that one obstacle holding back the building’s sale was its size. The building would be a fit for companies of 500 people or more, which not only limits the number of potential buyers, but also increases the competition for those businesses’ services. Turnbull said the city hasn’t ruled out placing multiple businesses in the building, but added that Superior Industries still owned the building, meaning Superior would have to sign off on any such agreement.
“We’re being proactive with it, and I’m optimistic (that it will be sold),” Turnbull said. “The facilities that we have available, including the Superior building, are fine facilities.
“It’s obviously going to take work—capturing that one business that is a very large business won’t be easy,” Turnbull said. “But we will continue to receive inquiries and market it, and we will do so until it sells.”
PITTSBURG —
