City Club groundbreaking reinvents Hereford House site

The $76 million City Club Apartments Crossroads mixed-use community broke ground ground Wednesday, signaling new life for the landmark Hereford House site at 20th and Main streets in Downtown Kansas City.

Integrated into the historic Midwest Hotel, the 7-story multifamily building will include 283 apartments and penthouses and feature international design, rooftop dining, an outdoor theater, and 50 floor plans.

"Kansas City is proud to be home to the next exciting development from City Club Apartments," Kansas City Mayor Sly James told attendees at the groundbreaking.

City Club Apartments has retail and restaurant tenants lined up for the project, with announcements pending. City Club has $500 million currently under development in more than a half-dozen U.S. markets.

Metropolitan Warehouse & Delivery trucks into KC market

New Jersey-based Metropolitan Warehouse & Delivery is expanding into the Kansas City market, leasing 20,000-square feet at 3518-3522 Enterprise Dr. near Interstate 435 and Interstate 70.

Metropolitan Warehouse & Delivery offers "white glove" in-home delivery and packaging of high-end furniture and antiques and works with retailers Costco and Restoration Hardware. The company has an estimated 2 million square feet of warehouse and distribution space under lease nationwide, including facilities in Wichita, Denver, and Dallas.

"The Kansas City lease rounds out the company's Midwestern footprint," said Ben Boyd of NAI Heartland, who represented Metropolitan Warehouse and Delivery in the transaction. "They try to set up distribution hubs every 200 to 300 miles, and proximity to the I-70 trucking corridor is obviously very strategic."

Metropolitan Warehouse and Delivery took occupancy of the building at Stadium Industrial Park Sept. 1. Mark Fountain of True North Industrial Realty, LLC represented the landlord in the transaction. 

"I believe that as more and more companies develop their 'last mile' strategy, they will find that Stadium Industrial Park is an ideal location," Fountain said.

Bridge Space connects Lee's Summit's past with present coworking trend

Downtown Lee’s Summit officially joins the coworking movement with the Wednesday opening of Bridge Space, a 14,000-square foot redevelopment of the city’s historic U.S. Post Office.

Bridge Space includes 34 private offices, 12 dedicated desks, 6 state-of-the-art conference rooms, and 3,000-square feet of open coworking space, as well as a 2,000-square foot event space with mezzanine and balcony.

Longtime Downtown Lee’s Summit resident and serial entrepreneur Ben Rao led and championed the redevelopment effort, which involved the arduous process of securing a spot on the national historic registry.

“This entire project for me was very personal and very intentional,” Rao said. “I wanted to exploit the walkability of Downtown Lee’s Summit. There’s a real quality of life here.”

Rao envisioned a startup facility that would attract economic development in Lee’s Summit by encouraging companies to incubate businesses in their hometown. It’s a concept that Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council President Rick McDowell agreed is much needed.

“A coworking facility like Bridge Space has been a desire of Lee’s Summit for some time,” McDowell said. “The LSEDC looks forward to helping entrepreneurs who may get started in Bridge Space grow their businesses and increase their capital investment and workforce in Lee’s Summit.”

The Bridge Space redevelopment was made possible through state and national historic tax credits, as well as $200,000 in city incentives granted through the LCRA (Land Clearance Redevelopment Authority.)

“This is really an economic development play- completely- to the point that I’m getting calls from other cities. They want to talk about how we did this in Downtown Lee’s Summit,” Rao said.

Bridge Space amenities include a member lounge, large kitchen, café area with free coffee for members. Conference rooms are loaded with 55-inch 4K TVs and multiple hardwire and internet connections.

More than 500 people registered in advance to attend Bridge Space’s grand opening Wednesday night.

Burns & McDonnell sets hiring record in 2018, announces $42 million expansion

Burns & McDonnell will build a 142,000-square foot office building and 550-stall parking garage at its Kansas City World Headquarters, a $42 million expansion that will complete the engineering firm’s local campus and grow local employee capacity by 22 percent.

“We are on track to hire 300-400 additional employees in Kansas City this year alone, and 1,000 employees company-wide,” Burns & McDonnell CEO and Chairman Ray Kowalik said. “Lower oil and gas prices have driven growth over the last year, and the economy is strong as a whole.”

Targeted for completion in 2020, Burns & McDonnell will use an integrated design-build approach for the four-story building. VanTrust Real Estate will provide development services for the project, which will be constructed between the existing 9400 Ward Parkway office building and the campus’ parking garage along 95th Street.  

“Our diverse business lines allow us to provide full-service solutions to our clients,” Kowalik said. “Our clients reap the benefits of a quicker and more seamless experience from beginning to end. It’s a model that helps grow our success.”

The new building will primarily include additional employee work stations and conference rooms, adding 780 spots and bringing the campus’ potential headcount to 4,300, according to Brittney Swartz, Burns & McDonnell design project manager.

Sustainability will be a priority, with additional charging stations and a high-tech shade system allowing for energy efficiency through daylight “harvesting.” Conference rooms will have integrated technology and camera systems allowing for quicker, smart meetings with clients across the globe.

Rapid growth in the energy and power transmission markets, as well as public infrastructure, are driving demand for space and creating a race against the clock.

“We will have space problems between now and the opening of the new building,” Kowalik said.

BUILT Interior Construction goes wall-to-wall with custom building solution

BUILT opened its Kansas City office in 2015, determined that the construction industry was ready to embrace a sustainable, tech-friendly, pre-manufactured building solution that would save time and money for the end user.

As the company celebrates its third birthday this month, it's clear that the vision of partners Dave Anderson, Mark Brandmeyer and Russ Branden is paying off. High-profile clients in the health care, education, and corporate space are lining up to incorporate the company's flexible building solution into their projects.

"It's a totally new and different way to build interiors," said BUILT Partner Dave Anderson. "Conventional construction can't do these fit and finishes, and we are able to bring down overall project costs with our speed to market."

Recent projects include Kansas City Orthopaedic Institute's expansion, several BCBS SpiraCare clinics, and new headquarters for Mariner Holdings and Mediware Information Systems.

Using the DIRTT-branded prefabricated solution, BUILT creates customizable, floor-to-ceiling sliding glass panels that allow for easy access to IT, plumbing and electrical infrastructure within the walls. 

"We like to say, we don't make walls; we liberate the space between them," said Andre' Davis, business development manager for BUILT. "We serve as a strategic partner to anyone interested in building better, using technology and clean construction methods to future-proof their space."

Panels arrive ready to install and bypass the need for paint or wallpaper, which allows for a quicker buildout and cleaner construction sites. It's a solution that health care providers finding particularly attractive because components arrive UL-tested and construction is minimally disruptive to busy medical facilities and offices. 

One more perk: the pre-manufactured solution reduces concerns about available construction workers.

"We believe we add value to any General Contractor out there trying to win projects, especially because labor is so tight," Davis added. "We just need three weeks of lead time, and we can be on-site by the fourth week."

Find out more about BUILT Interior Construction online at Builtinterior.com.