Roll out the red carpet; New Urbanism project lands entertainment anchor

Construction officially began Wednesday on B&B Theatres New Longview 7, a boutique luxury cinema located in Lee's Summit's New Longview commercial district. The 'New Urbanism' project is being co-developed by Box Real Estate Development and Platform Ventures, both Kansas City-area based firms, and is yet another example of Lee's Summit's long list of recent exciting project announcements. 

"This has been three years in the making, which is often the case with mixed-use projects," said Developer Russ Pearson of Box Development. " 'New urbanism' design by nature produces more density, extends buildings to the street and offer limited parking, all in an effort to promote walkability and random interactions between people. We couldn't be more excited to have B&B Theatres anchor this project." 

The project took shape through collaboration of a design "charrette," an intensive planning session involving developers, designers, neighborhood leaders and civic stakeholders, according to Pearson. 

"This truly is a team effort and it's been a great process working with our design team that includes Hollis + Miller Architects, Olsson Associates, Confluence and Henderson Engineers. The result is an exciting design and an amazing project," Pearson said.

The theaters will feature art deco design elements reminiscent of the early 1900's when Kansas City lumber baron R.A. Long was in his heyday, spearheading construction of Kansas City's World War I Memorial and building more than 60 structures at Longview Farms, the largest development project in the U.S. at the time. 

The 7-screen cinema will include more than 600 electric leather reclining chairs, reserve seating, a lounge and bar, as well as 30-foot-wide screens, and an outdoor seating experience that will include fireplaces and big screens. 

"We are looking forward to sharing the magic of the movies with Lee’s Summit early next year," B&B Theatres President Bob Bagby said. 

Several factors influenced B&B Theatres' decision to open in New Longview, including Cerner's new world headquarters in South Kansas City, residential and commercial development in Lee's Summit and the nearby location of Metropolitan Community College-Longview. 

The project adds momentum to Lee's Summit's flourishing west side along the View High Corridor, according to Lee's Summit Economic Development Council President Rick McDowell. 

"We call all of this new development along View High Drive our very own 'West Side Story' and are thrilled to see so much commercial and residential construction taking place between historic Longview Farms and extending north to I-470 with the Paragon Star Soccer Village. It is a very exciting time for Lee's Summit," McDowell said.

City of Lee's Summit Mayor Randall Rhoads said he looks forward to hearing movie themes played in the new theater, but the real music he loves "is the tractors you hear right now."

Developers are still seeking office, restaurant and retail tenants. Click here for more information. 

Rendering of B&B Theatres New Longview 7. 

Corbion's new HQ project signals sweet success for Pine Ridge West Business Park

Food ingredient research company Corbion broke ground Wednesday on a new 58,000-square foot North American headquarters and advanced laboratory facility in Lenexa's Pine Ridge West Business Park, as the Dutch-owned company consolidates 200 employees into one regional operation. 

Developed by Block Real Estate Services, LLC, the building at Flint and 83rd streets will be located less than a mile from Corbion's existing Lenexa location at 79th and Quivira and will mark the completion of Pine Ridge West Business Park when it opens in August of 2018. 

“BRES is excited to be able to assist Corbion with their expansion at Pine Ridge Business Park,” said Kenneth G. Block, managing principal at BRES. “As a fellow industry leader, BRES admires Corbion’s commitment to quality and innovation because it reflects our own.”

Corbion's new facility will include research and application labs, a state-of-the-art bakery, as well as a new meat lab to support the company's growing role in the meat industry. The company formed in 2014 as a result of a merger between Caravan Ingredients and Purac and produces bio-based food ingredients-- such as enzymes for baked products and lactic acids-- to preserve consumer packaged beverages.

“Corbion’s tagline is ‘Keep Creating’ because we never stop looking for new and better ways to apply our technologies and experience to benefit our customers and the consumers who buy their products,” said Andy Muller, Corbion executive vice president.

“Each of us is a consumer, too, and we want that perspective to help shape everything we do. Combining that view with our technical expertise and our customers’ knowledge, we work side by side with them to create something better. It’s what we’re known for; it’s what we’re so good at. Our new facilities will support us in doing it even more.”

Rainen Companies' new senior living concept eyes '55 and better' niche

Liberty at Shoal Creek, a $25.8 million luxury senior rental housing development concept developed by Rainen Companies, recently opened in the Northland. Located on six acres at NE 82nd Terrace and Farley Avenue in Kansas City, Mo., the community is geared to active Baby Boomers and seniors. Longtime Kansas City developer Mike Rainen recently sat down with MetroWireMedia to share more about the project.

MWM: What inspired you to develop this lifestyle concept?

MR: We wanted to provide a business solution to the Baby Boomers that are historically a moving wave. It wasn’t a surprise that this age group and demographic is growing, but the anomaly was the fact that they are maybe seeking different housing solutions. In 2013, we saw there was an age bubble or wave coming through, and we wanted to ride the wave. So we teamed up with Carl Yaeger and Yaeger Architecture to bring this concept to reality.

MWM: Tell us more about the trends that informed your design decisions?

MR: We conducted years of research as to what this group would desire and need. We secured a trademark for the term ‘55 AND BETTER’ to clearly define our target market and then we worked to provide features that are specific to the needs, lifestyle and life stage of that market segment. The result is a product that meets requirements of seniors pretty much in lockstep, but then we’ve taken our own little twist on what we think this group wants. 

MWM: Describe what differentiates Liberty at Shoal Creek from other senior housing products on the market?

MR: Along with Yaeger Architecture, we have created amenity-rich community for active Boomers and seniors, with features such as a putting green, movie theater with luxury seating, outdoor living spaces, indoor/outdoor pool and hot tub, fitness center and business center, all of which are specific to the needs of that market segment. 

MWM: Clearly you’re expecting strong demand for amenity-rich senior housing geared to active lifestyles. How competitive is that market?

MR: People are excited about what we are doing. Most competitors in senior housing are changing up their product to respond to this active market, so our main competition is people choosing to stay in their existing homes. 

MWM: Are you planning to expand Liberty at Shoal Creek? What about additional locations?

MR: The property includes land for a planned second phase, which would add additional parking and 60 new units, for a total of 245 apartments. We are in the process of replicating the concept, both in the Kansas City area and outside the region. We have locations under contract, but we aren’t releasing details just yet.

Liberty at Shoal Creek is the seventh area development owned or co-owned by Michael Rainen, a native Kansas Citian, businessman and real estate developer.

Check out a slideshow of Liberty at Shoal Creek below or click here for additional photos. 

Blue Moose prances into Red Bridge Shopping Center

LANE4 Property Group's $19 million redevelopment of the Red Bridge Shopping Center is taking shape with the announcement of three new tenants, including the addition of Blue Moose Bar & Grill. With plans to open this fall on the southeast corner of the South Kansas City retail center, the 7,000-square foot restaurant will be Blue Moose's first in Missouri and seventh in the metro area.

"We are very excited to bring our Blue Moose concept to the Red Bridge neighborhood. We have wanted to be in Southwest Kansas City for many years, and this location is perfect for the Blue Moose,"  Ed Nelson, President of KC Hopps, said in a release.

Silks & Poles Aerial Fitness will bring the coastal trend of gravity defying fitness to the metro with plans to open a 4,591-square foot location and juice bar at the Red Bridge Shopping Center this summer. In addition, Edward Jones & Co. will double its leased space at Red Bridge Shopping Center from 734 to 1,363 square feet.

The new tenants are helping boost the center's occupancy from 47 percent to 75 percent over the past year and follow the announcement that Wonderscope Children's Museum and Mid-Continent Public Library are teaming up to develop a 50,000-square foot building to house a new museum and public library. Design plans and a capital campaign are underway, with groundbreaking targeted for 2018.

The addition of the children’s museum and new trio of tenants are expected to attract new customers and offer new education opportunities to the surrounding communities, according to LANE4 Vice President Brandon Buckley.

“We are committed to making Red Bridge a unique community-oriented shopping center, so welcoming new experience-based tenants to complement Wonderscope gets us one step closer to achieving that,” Buckley said. “We look forward to releasing more new tenant announcements soon.”

The redevelopment is "a great example of collaboration with surrounding neighborhoods to bring back what residents wanted, which included a hardware store and a restaurant," said Kansas City Councilman Scott Taylor. "We now have both-- and welcome Blue Moose Bar & Grill to the neighborhood." 

Downtown reuse, suburban build-to-suit and coworking trend dominate MWM Office Summit

Downtown adaptive reuse projects, suburban build-to-suit, and the explosive coworking trend are among bright spots in the Kansas City regional office market, according to panelists at MetroWireMedia's 2017 Office Summit on June 6 at The Grand Hall at Power & Light.

The redeveloped Corrigan Station project along the new Downtown streetcar line is considered the poster child for successful adaptive reuse projects in the region. Developed on a speculative basis by Copaken Brooks, Corrigan Station reached full occupancy within months of opening with the announcement that national coworking company WeWork would join Hollis + Miller Architects in the historic Crossroads building.

“Downtown is very authentic, and that’s the kind of environment that people want,” said Copaken Brooks Principal Jon Copaken. “So we will continue to be focused on the city center where people can move and use nearby amenities.”

While the tech-friendly vibe of Downtown and the Crossroads Arts District continue to attract creative relocation and expansion projects, the suburban office market-- driven by medical office demand-- is gaining momentum of its own.

“The interesting phenomena here is that we are all excited about what’s going on Downtown and the coworking opportunities, but demand for office space in the suburbs is still robust,” said Suzanne Dimmel, director at Cushman & Wakefield. “There’s up to 4 million square feet of planned office space in the suburbs currently on the horizon.”

Rick Baier, principal with CBC Real Estate Group, also sees opportunity in suburban office market development because of speed to market: “It’s hard for me to invest three or four years in a redevelopment project in the urban core," Baier said.

Whether urban core redevelopment or suburban build-to-suit, a key driver for companies continues to be access to amenities and technology investments demanded by the Millennial workforce.

“Millennials want a sense of place and a sense of culture. A lot of us just coming out of college want a campus environment. Being in a place where that is available is huge,” said JE Dunn Construction’s Jon Dandurand, the panel’s self-proclaimed resident Millennial.

Helix Architecture + Design Principal Erika Moody agreed that the rising Millennial workforce continues to drive design trends, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

“What they are charging us with is a better work environment. They want the ability to take a break from work but also have a place for private focus. These aren’t necessarily things that relate to one generation or another. It is about how we each recharge,” Moody said. “And with a lot of the trends that we are seeing, if the Millennials are getting us outside and offering more access to amenities, I am all for that.”

Gerald Smith, founder of Kansas City coworking company Plexpod, served as guest speaker for the 2017 Office Summit. Matt Eckert of CBRE also served as a panelist.  

Check out the event slideshow below. All photos courtesy of Jacia Phillips, ArchPhotoKC.