The District at City Center seeks to fill void in Lenexa's office and retail market

Construction is officially underway for The District at City Center, a mixed-use project that brings additional luxury apartments, first-class retail and full-floor office space to the Lenexa City Center development area at 87th Street Parkway and Renner Boulevard.

The District will add 175 luxury residential apartments, 45,000 square feet of office and 35,000 square feet of retail to the already successful Domain apartments and the recently opened Lenexa City Hall and Civic Campus.

Designed to complement the existing 800,000 square feet of retail, office and recreational mixed uses at Lenexa City Center, The District will fill a unique void in the Lenexa office and retail submarket with full floor offices for 5,000 square foot tenants plus much-needed first class retail space, according to Keith Copaken of Copaken Brooks.

“We are well underway with the District and City Center, as well as Lenexa as a whole, and are really hitting on all cylinders right now,” Copaken said.  “I’m not sure you could find a more exciting and active area in the Kansas City metro area right now.”

The District is scheduled to open in March of 2019 and is being co-developed by longtime Kansas City office and retail developer Copaken Brooks and residential lifestyle development firm EPC Real Estate Group.

“EPC is thrilled to create another development that provides convenience, connectivity and community. The District is located in a prime location adjacent to restaurants, office, the Public Market, and the Lenexa Civic Center just to name a few. People love the ability to be a short walk or drive away from an experience,” said Brendon O’Leary, EPC Real Estate Group vice president of development.

At the District's groundbreaking on Tuesday, Copaken thanked the City of Lenexa for serving as a valued partner: “None of this would be possible without the foresight, guidance and determination from the City...  Lenexa has been a great development partner in every sense of the word and every step of the way.”

Lenexa Mayor Michael Boehm said it is gratifying to watch a long-time dream take shape. 

“We could not be more pleased with all the development activity in the City Center area. It really has become what we and the community originally envisioned - the city and civic hub of the City of Lenexa,” Boehm said in a release. 

The District at City Center officially broke ground on Tuesday, September 19.

The project team for The District at City Center Lenexa includes: Copaken Brooks (Co-developer, office leasing agent & property manager), EPC Real Estate Group (Co-developer, apartment leasing agent & property manager), Klover Architects (architect), Studio A Architecture (residential consultant), BSE (structural engineer), Latimer Sommers & Associates (mechanical design), Phelps Engineering (civil engineer - private), GBA Architects Engineers (civil engineer - public), HarenLaughlin Construction (general contractor), Richard Clayton Barrett (landscape design) and Lewis Rice (legal).

For more information about The District, email Ryan Biery at rbiery@copaken-brooks.com. Or check out more about the project here. 

Terracon tops out new Olathe headquarters

Terracon "topped out" the frame of its new headquarters at Ridgeview Avenue and College Boulevard on Tuesday, less than six months after the $21 million project was announced. Completion is set for March of 2018.

The new 65,000 square foot office building will accommodate about 200 existing employees and will emphasize collaborative spaces, including a new training conference center and expanded amenities. 

"Terracon's new headquarters reflects our continued growth strategy, as well as our commitment to remain part of the Olathe business community," said Terracon President Swaminathan Srinivasan. "Our goal is to inspire our employees while we focus on our future and serve our clients in new, innovative ways."

The new building is a business retention win for the City of Olathe and the State of Kansas; Terracon has been headquartered in Olathe for more than 10 years and sought several locations on both sides of the state line before deciding on new construction near its current location.

Kansas City Animal Health Corridor welcomes new companies to Olathe and Lee's Summit

The KC Animal Health Corridor has added two new companies, with Maxxam Analytics and Companion Animal Health announcing plans to open new facilities in the metro area at the KC Animal Health Corridor Homecoming Dinner Monday night. 

Maxxam Analytics, a leading North American provider of food and environmental testing services, has opened a 3,000 square foot food testing laboratory at Kansas State University Olathe. 

"Maxxam is proud of our ongoing partnership with Kansas State University Olathe as we provide food testing- an essential component of the animal nutrition industry - to the list of services provided in the KC Animal Health Corridor," said Donna Garbutt, CEO of Maxxam Analytics.

With more than 50 years of expertise, Maxxam looks to establish itself as the clear choice for analytical food testing within the Animal Health Corridor for both existing and new business partners. The company will test a new delivery model for its products to expand nationwide.

"K-State Olathe's partnership with Maxxam will have many benefits for Greater Kansas City's workforce and for pets everywhere," said Ralph Richardson, dean and CEO of K-State Olathe. " Maxxam is helping ensure that our pets are consuming safer food, creating new jobs in Olathe and helping usher in a more skilled workforce for the region."

In addition, Companion Animal Health, a Delaware-based provider of therapeutic solutions to the veterinary industry, announced plans to open a regional office and training center for the company's rehabilitation and diagnostic services in Lee's Summit at 657 S.E. Bailey Road. 

"Companion Animal Health is a perfect 'companion' to the Lee's Summit community," said Lee's Summit EDC President Rick McDowell. "Recent market studies of our business landscape identified that the Lee's Summit business and educational ecosystem was ripe for the expansion of animal health and health related companies, so we are thrilled about this announcement."

The Kansas City Area Development Council provided project assistance to both Maxxam Analytics and Companion Animal Health for their expansions. Partners for the Companion Animal Health facility included the State of Missouri, the Lee's Summit Economic Development Council, the City of Lee's Summit, KCP&L, and the KC Animal Health Corridor. 

Partners for the Maxxam Analytics project included the State of Kansas, Kansas Department of Commerce, Kansas State University Olathe, Olathe Chamber of Commerce, KCP&L, and the KC Animal Health Corridor.

“This year’s Global Animal Health Week celebrated the success we can all share when we work as ONE. New company and job attraction is one of those benefits that we are proud to share with our Corridor partners,” said Kimberly Young, president of the KC Animal Health Corridor. “We look forward to the new connections that will come from the expertise of Maxxam Analytics and Companion Animal Health, as well as the many other animal health companies that chose to invest in the Corridor over the last year.”

Companies with a business location in the KC Animal Health Corridor account for more than half of the sales generated by the global animal health industry. The Corridor is anchored by Manhattan, Kansas, and Columbia, Missouri and is home to more than 300 animal health companies representing the largest concentration of animal health assets in the world. 

For more information visit KCanimalhealth.com. 

MWM Industrial Summit signals continued strong market

A panel of leading Kansas City commercial real estate developers, builders and municipal leaders shared insight into the region's booming industrial market at MetroWireMedia's 2017 Industrial Summit on Friday, Aug. 25 at Blue Hills Country Club. 

Here's a snapshot of industry insight from our panelists:

“We are seeing about 60 percent of users come from outside the Kansas City area, and we are on pace to deliver over 10 million square feet this year."  -Kevin Wilkerson, JLL

“The supply side of industrial development has been somewhat disciplined. Demand has not outpaced supply at all, so we expect it will continue in a healthy fashion.” -Mark Long, Newmark Grubb Zimmer

“Kansas City companies can reach 90 percent of the U.S. in two days' shipping, so a company that years ago believed they needed to be near population densities on the east or west coast can reach 90 percent of their customers right here.” -Mike Bell, Hunt Midwest

“We are seeing more 'small boxes' that are appealing to tenants who want to be in their own space and not have to share a building, or they are a 60,000 to 80,000 square foot tenant and it appeals to them to have a right of first refusal and be in their own space and growing.” -Sam Stahnke, ARCO Construction

“From a long-term perspective, Kansas City has now reached a new level within the country as a major destination for e-commerce distribution, and that’s not going to change. The growth is going to continue for some time.” -Whitney Kerr, Jr., Cushman & Wakefield

“We are looking for opportunities where there is going to be a significant incentive to do business in Kansas City. We aren’t trying to create winners and losers amongst you all; we are trying to create winners for all of you within our Port District.” -Michael Collins, Port KC

“One of the challenges for local government, especially a government as small as Edgerton, is to be aware of what all levels of government are doing and how that might impact our ability to provide attractive incentives. Edgerton is certainly looking for opportunities to be creative and to have incentives that look different from other areas of the country.” -Beth Linn, Edgerton City Administrator

"MetroWireMedia has assembled a group of Kansas City commercial real estate leaders who are at the top of their game in what is without question the strongest industrial real estate market in recent Kansas City history. I look forward to leading the discussion as we hear about best practices for sustaining the momentum in the current red-hot market." -Chris Gutierrez, KC SmartPort

Want more insider scoop? Mark your calendars for MetroWireMedia's 2017 Multi-Family Summit on Oct. 12. Contact Lisa Shackelford for sponsorship information. 

Check out our slideshow below, or head to our Facebook page and tag yourself in the event photos. 

KCP&L offers energy incentives for industrial projects

Industrial users could be missing out on tens of thousands of dollars in potential cost savings available through KCP&L's energy efficiency programs. That was the message from the utility to attendees at MetroWireMedia's 2017 Industrial Summit on August 25th. 

"The industrial sector of the economy provides the most number of opportunities for partnerships between KCP&L and you or your clients," KCP&L Economic Development Manager John Engelmann told attendees. "These will provide a more compelling business case for the site or building you are marketing to your clients."

Medium to large-sized manufacturing, warehouse and distribution projects may also qualify for KCP&L's Economic Development Rider Tariff, which provides a discounted rate over a five-year period and equates to approximately one years' worth of energy costs. To qualify, projects must have a separately metered load of 200KW, a multiple shift operation and incentives from the city of state in which the building is located. 

"These incentives must be applied for prior to any public announcement by the client, so the key to any successful partnership is to include KCP&L's Economic Development Team early in the process so we can make sure your clients can qualify,"  Engelmann said.  

In addition, KCP&L has an Energy Efficiency Team dedicated to working with Missouri customers, builders and developers to obtain rebates for the purchase of higher efficiency products such as lighting, HVAC, controls, drives/pumps or process items. 

Energy Efficiency Rebates are capped at up to $500,000 per customer per year and are available for everything from standard solutions such as simple lighting upgrades to customized needs for larger retrofits or new construction projects. 

A full list of requirements and programs can be found at KCPLED.com.