Some are beginning to raise an eyebrow at the onslaught of new apartments going vertical in the Kansas City metro. Will the absorption rate keep pace with new construction? Will younger professionals and empty nesters continue to trade in their yards and spacious homes for a maintenance-free lock and leave lifestyle?
But Thomas has caught a glimpse of the future.
The original 107,000-square-foot building was constructed in 1904, then renovated and expanded with a 25,000-square-foot concrete addition in 1985. It was renovated again in 2007. Today, the six-story, 132,000-square-foot center serves as a primary gateway to Kansas City’s central business district.
"Being a woman-owned business is in this male-dominated industry is interesting. A lot of times we are the only women in the room. We do good work and we’ve been awarded for it but I do think we have something to prove. Women who own businesses don’t make it as long as we have made it, so we’ve defied a lot of odds."
Inside, the project oozed with technology, from exposed ceilings and raised floors, to ‘nodes’ within the core where future employees could take a break. Daylight location and quantity was carefully considered given that the building is designed for a very specific type of highly-skilled employee function.
