Board approves $5M sale of vacant New Century building to Sky Partners 2 LLC

Johnson County commissioners on Oct. 9 approved a real‑estate sale contract to convey two parcels at New Century — 600 New Century Parkway and 561 Sumner Way — to Sky Partners 2 LLC for $5,000,000. The motion passed 7‑0.

County and broker representatives described the property as a large vacant building that has been unleased for several years and will require significant investment to return to operation. Tommy Gentry of Newmark Zimmer, who provided a valuation, said comparable market sales and the vacant, speculative nature of large‑format buildings influenced the negotiated price. "There's gonna be deferred maintenance...that's the nature of a vacant building. It's going to take a lot of money to get this thing operational again," Gentry said.

County airport staff clarified transactional timing and responsibilities: the approved contract includes a 120‑day due‑diligence period for the buyer; utilities and upkeep remain the responsibility of the airport commission until closing. County staff also noted that assessed values from earlier years (cited in the meeting in the mid‑$30 million range) reflect point‑in‑time appraisal methods and do not necessarily match current market offers.

Commissioner Allenbrand, the board’s airport liaison, said the airport’s economic activity has increased during recent years and described the sale as consistent with efforts to make the airport self‑sustaining. Commissioner Ashcraft asked procedural questions and confirmed that the approval authorizes the contract with the earnest‑money, inspection and closing timeline; staff said the closing will finalize the transfer if due diligence conditions are satisfied.

The motion to approve the sale was moved by Commissioner Allenbrand, seconded by Commissioner Hanslick, and passed by recorded roll call with seven ayes.