Photo: Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue

Subtropolis Underground Warehousing Facility, Kansas City

The underground warehousing facility, called Subtropolis, represents an unique initiative to take advantage of the space made available by a former limestone mine. The facility, that spans 4.5 square kilometers, has several advantages:

• Temperature stability. Because the facility is underground the ambient temperature is in the range of 18 to 21 degrees Celsius year round. This makes it highly suitable for any activity requiring the warehousing of temperature controlled products since utilities cost are at least 50% cheaper than a regular above ground warehouse. For low temperature warehousing that are part of cold chain logistics, the utility costs are even lower; in the range of 70%.
• Security. The facility is underground and only accessible through a limited number of entrances, conferring a high level of security against theft and damage for the warehoused cargo. This is a reason why the United States Postal Services is renting space to house its collectible stamps division in the facility.