Leawood's Park Place adds seven new tenants

Seven new local and national retail tenants will soon call Park Place Village, a 484,002-SF office and retail property in Leawood, Kan., home.

Commercial real estate investment firm, KBS, recently announced the new tenants to include: national day spa MassageLuXe; Plate, a modern Italian restaurant; Bamboo Penny’s, a Thai restaurant and rooftop lounge; Ice Cream Bae, a creative ice cream shop; an all-new island-themed coffee shop and bar concept, Outta the Blue; Moda Domani, a provider of custom-made men’s suits, clothing and accessories; and Moshiri Jewelry, who sells custom-designed jewelry.

Matt Rau of CBRE represented KBS in the seven recent lease transactions, which range in size from 803 SF to 5,972 SF.

“We have seen strong interest from retailers who want to set up shop at Park Place Village, a highly desirable location in the Leawood market that attracts a steady stream of visitors from near and far,” said Rau.

The seven new tenants complement the existing retail offerings at Park Place Village; including popular restaurants 801 Chophouse, BurgerFi and RA Sushi Bar; and fitness options, Orangetheory and The Bar Method, among others.

“We thoughtfully curated retailers that align with what local residents are demanding. This includes innovative concepts that are unique to this market,” said Dan Park, senior vice president and asset manager for KBS.

In addition to Park Place Village’s one-of-a-kind shopping experience, numerous events are held at the property’s outdoor community courtyard – a place Kansas City residents gather for events throughout the year – including the upcoming summer concert series, movies in the square and the all-new Park Place Farmers’ Market, according to a release.

“Park Place Village has become the central gathering spot for residents and visitors of all ages and interests in Kansas City,” said Park.

Completed in 2013, Park Place Village consists of 10 buildings that include a mix of office, retail tenants and nearby residential space. In addition to the retail offerings, amenities for office tenants at the property include a fitness center, bike storage, EV car-charging stations, on-site parking, a rooftop view terrace, an energy-management system, nearby shopping, transportation and entertainment.

The surrounding area features parking garages, the Aloft Hotel, 201 apartments, 30 townhouses and 27 lofts. Future planned phases of development for the area surrounding the property include another hotel and additional multifamily rental housing.

“The new retail tenants accentuate the exceptional office experience at this center, making it even more attractive for companies in the area,” said Park.

Park Place Village is located at 11549 Ash Street in Leawood, part of Kansas City’s South Johnson County submarket.

Please click here for photos of Park Place Village.

Hoefer Welker launches in-house MEP engineering service

On the heels of its 25th anniversary, Hoefer Welker – a multidisciplinary architecture and engineering firm – has introduced mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) engineering as its newest, in-house service line.

Engineered Performance Solutions (EPS), the name for the new MEP division, officially launched in December 2020. The firm tapped into three Hoefer Welker leaders, leveraging 40 years of combined experience, to comprise the team: Principal, Elise Kirchhofer, PE, and associate vice presidents, Jon Lee, PE, and Jeremy Hoefer, PE.

Kirchhofer directs the group with more than 20 years of industry experience, previously serving as an owner’s representative and in leadership roles for engineering and construction firms nationwide. Lee, an electrical engineer, and Hoefer, a mechanical engineer, have worked together for nearly eight years. Both bring strong business development and project management experience to their new director roles.

“We bring additional value as a team due to our unique backgrounds,” Kirchhofer said. “I've sat at the table from all sides – architect, engineer, owner and contractor – and Jon and Jeremy have a skillful understanding of cost, sales and client relations from their business experience. Together we’re redefining what it means to be an integrated design firm.”

After working together across various projects, the three saw an opportunity in their diverse skillsets and joined forces to help launch the new division.

“In our previous careers, we witnessed a lot of different perspectives and opportunities to improve the MEP process for building owners and clients,” Hoefer said. “The stars aligned, we reconnected, and here we are.”

The service line’s introduction further evolves Hoefer Welker’s client-focused services, as the EPS team’s combined offerings simplify the process for all involved parties.

“An in-house service allows us to provide more effective collaboration as well as a streamlined process,” Lee said. “This ultimately enables us to offer the best overall value and quality to our clients.”

EPS has already begun its first project, Aspiria, a 207-acre planned mixed-use campus on the former Sprint campus site.

“This project is only the beginning. It’s a great time for exceptional talent to join our growing team,” said Kirchhofer.

“To create something like EPS is exciting and being able to do that alongside trusted colleagues like Elise and Jon is truly special,” Hoefer said. “We’re looking forward to helping build the next chapter at Hoefer Welker.”

Greenwood aspires to build sustainable as 'next normal'

In a world struggling with a devastating pandemic and the burgeoning climate crisis, Kansas Citian Sara Greenwood sees an opportunity to adapt to the “next normal” by creating buildings that offer a more sustainable, healthy, resource-efficient and prosperous environment that improves quality of life.

“Now more than ever, the benefit of investing in high-quality, healthy buildings is critical to the community at-large. People want to feel safe returning to work, going to restaurants and moving into a new home,” Greenwood said.

The Kansas City businesswoman's passion and skill were recognized internationally as she was recently named a ‘2020 LEED Fellow’ by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI). Greenwood is among 25 professionals who represent exceptional practitioners and leaders within the green building community who have demonstrated mastery of the technical application of LEED, the world’s most widely used green building rating system.

As the principal and founder of Kansas City-based Greenwood Consulting Group, Greenwood is one of only three professionals earning this designation in the Midwest; and is the only professional who specializes in green building consulting services in the Kansas City metro area.

“I can’t imagine a better time to be a LEED Fellow,” said Greenwood, a 16-year veteran in the green building industry. “In a time where we’ve been forced to imagine the next normal, standards like LEED and WELL reinforce that designing and building healthy buildings matter –for the planet and for people.”

Greenwood has contributed to dozens of highly-recognizable projects in KC, including the new KCI Airport Terminal, Grand Place (the former Kansas City Star building), Lenexa Civic Center, Two Light, 1900 Building, Johnson County Library, the new Aquarium at the Kansas City Zoo, the Johnson County Medical Examiner building and seven new school buildings.

Greenwood’s work extends beyond the Kansas City metro with the REACH Building at Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, MGM CityCenter in Las Vegas, an expansion at the Georgia Aquarium, assorted FBI Buildings, Port of Los Angeles, and several higher education facilities nationwide.

To date, Greenwood has managed the certification of more than 100 LEED projects totaling more than 8 million square feet.

“Our work with the Lenexa Civic Center, which includes a Recreation Center, City Hall and public market, and the Johnson County Library, are iconic examples of taking a campus approach to achieve sustainable performance,” Greenwood said.

“The Lenexa Civic Center attracts thousands of people every year. It demonstrates optimal energy and water efficiency, daylighting design, and provides our community with a healthier, inviting experience. There are so many ways we can apply LEED concepts to improve not only how our city looks, but also to make it more efficient, healthy, and sustainable.”

The Greenwood Consulting Group is a certified women-owned business (WBE) that is one of the most sought-after sustainable building consulting firms, having managed projects from coast to coast.

 "It's interesting and inspiring to me to see how my clients across a wide range of industries genuinely care about achieving high-performance building standards," said Greenwood. “For my clients, LEED certification sets a high bar for ensuring that a building is actually designed and constructed to set criteria. My clients look to me to help projects achieve their performance goals.”

Other projects in Greenwood’s portfolio include:

·      Zappos Headquarters- Las Vegas, Nevada

·      Whole Foods stores in the South Pacific Region

·      Port of Long Beach- Long Beach, CA

·      University of Missouri NEXTGen Healthcare Building in Columbia, MO

LEED Fellows are nominated by their peers and must have made at least 10 years of exceptional impact on LEED and hold an active LEED AP with specialty credential, among other requirements. The evaluation process includes extensive portfolio review and is carried out by the LEED Fellow Evaluation Committee and supported by GBCI.

The LEED Fellow program was established in 2011 to recognize outstanding LEED APs who have demonstrated exceptional impacts with LEED in key mastery elements related to technical knowledge and skill; a history of exemplary leadership in LEED; significant contributions in teaching, mentoring, or research with proven outcomes; and a history of highly impactful commitment, service, and advocacy for LEED.

“The green building industry plays a critical role as we look toward rebuilding our economy and our communities in the months and years ahead,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO of GBCI and U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).