MetroWire Media's top themes of 2018: Push, Pivot, Preserve

News about Burns & McDonnell's strategic push into the design-build market topped MetroWire Media's list of the 18 most clicked stories of 2018. Below are the other top stories that caught our readers' attention. 

New owners announce 'gentle facelift' for century-old Longview Mansion

Kelly Construction Group expands reach, builds new headquarters

With Midwest Gateway, Copaken Brooks is Edgerton's new kid in town

Fogel-Anderson will manage Mission Gateway construction project, timetable

Four new retail stores open in Belton Gateway

Opus' mixed-use poised to trigger Westport Road redevelopment

Lenexa's The District mixed-use offers case study on cold-formed steel construction

Summit Square ribbon cutting celebrates record leasing activity

Hufft 'small box' concept pops onto big-market retail scene

Leawood mixed-use expected to kickstart activity along 135th Street corridor

Elite Sports announces $25M investment in five facilities across KC region

Opus kicks off construction of Westport multifamily mixed-use project

Bluhawk Apartments prepare for blastoff

Changing retail trends drive shift in Price Brothers’ BluHawk plan

Superior Bowen paves way for growth and diversification with new HQ, hires

Olathe pioneer spec building sells to investors

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

Wichita developer sets sights on upscale office park near Lenexa City Center

Wichita-based Vantage Point Properties has entered the Kansas City market, announcing plans to develop Reflections at City Center, a sprawling Class A office complex in Lenexa.

"Our vision is to create an environment that is both aesthetically and functionally different from any other office park in the Kansas City area," said Paul Jackson, president and founder of Vantage Point Properties. "Every detail - walkable paths, architectural lighting, and sculptures - will come together to create a comfortable, enjoyable place to work."

The commercial real estate company just closed on 32 acres at I-435 and Renner Road and envisions a walkable, upscale 315,000-square foot campus featuring reflection pools and three restaurants. The Lenexa City Council has approved tax increment financing for the project, which will break ground pending identification of an anchor tenant. 

"The project will provide a unique opportunity for a company to come in and make the site their own," Jackson said. "They will really be able to create their own footprint here. We're ready to make a deal happen with the right partner."

Jackson, who co-founded Vantage Point Properties in 1992, sees opportunity in the relatively stable Kansas City market.

"It has a track record of steady growth," Jackson said. "And Lenexa is the perfect spot for our first project."

Matt Stover and Tracy Wilson of Colliers are marketing the property for lease. 

Leawood mixed-use expected to kickstart activity along 135th Street corridor

Leawood leaders say a just-approved $135 million mixed-used project along 135th Street near State Line Road may be exactly what the city needs to energize development activity on the east end of the well-traveled corridor.

Lashbrook Cos. on Monday received city approval for its development south of 135th Street between Kenneth Road and Chadwick, which includes 117 high-end villas, 182 luxury apartments, and retail space. The project also includes plans for an 81-unit assisted living facility developed by Johnson County Management.

“I’ve said for a long time that this is a great corridor, but it just needs a kickstart. It needs something to happen to bring the momentum,” said Bob Regnier, president of Bank of Blue Valley and whose family owns the land. “Rick (Lashbrook) has great product and the timing is right.”

The development strays from 135th Street Corridor development guidelines adopted by the Leawood City Council in 2013, so securing approval required some give-and-take.

“This is a good compromise and allows for forward movement. Just since the announcement, I have received a couple phone calls from people interested in that area,” Regnier said. “A nice project like this is announced, and all the sudden people are talking about it. People see the possibility.”

In addition to filling strong demand for attached villa-type property in Leawood, the project will allow the City to connect 137th Street from Kenneth Road to Metcalf Avenue.

“That route, like 133rd on the north side of 135th, will become a major east-west connector for not only vehicles, but for pedestrian and bicycle traffic as well,” said Kevin Jeffries, president and CEO of the Leawood Chamber & Economic Development Council. “The office, retail, multifamily, and senior living components proposed for later phases will also be a welcome addition to the 135th Street Corridor.”

Construction on the unnamed project is set to begin in late 2019 with completion expected 2-3 years later.

Opus' mixed-use poised to trigger Westport Road redevelopment

The Opus Group's new six-story mixed-use apartment project at the corner of Westport Road and Broadway Boulevard is expected to serve as a catalyst for neighborhood redevelopment along Westport Road between Broadway and Main Street. 

Although it won't be completed until the spring of 2020, the 254-unit multifamily project with 10,000 square feet of ground-level retail already is attracting tenant interest.

"Westport hasn't seen a project of this size in 50 years. This redevelopment will revitalize the neighborhood," said Chris Kamberis, a Kansas City-based commercial developer who owns property adjacent to the multifamily project and is seeking tenants to add to the unique neighborhood feel and expansion.

With plans in the works to extend the Kansas City Streetcar to Westport, Kamberis added, the OPUS multifamily project is right on time.

"With the addition of OPUS' mixed-use apartment complex and new tenants, Westport will continue to be an attraction for both locals and city visitors," said Kamberis, owner and president of CTK Real Estate.

The Opus Group began construction of the mixed-use project this fall. Opus Development Company, LLC is the developer in partnership with CTK Real Estate; Opus Design Build, LLC is the design-builder; and Opus AE Group, LLC is the interior designer, architect and structural engineer of record. Financing for the project is provided by Central Bank of the Midwest.

Superior Bowen paves way for growth and diversification with new HQ, hires

Superior Bowen is capping off its 70th year with new Crossroads digs and a flurry of projects in the pipeline.

The third-generation asphalt and paving contractor is growing its SiteWorks portfolio, recently winning contracts for Metro North Mall’s redevelopment and Johnson County’s new Indian Creek Library, while building its bread-and-butter business of large paving projects such as the Ford Claycomo Assembly Plant and Cerner Corporation's Innovations Campus.

“We’ve been incredibly busy and continue to diversify into business ventures necessitated by expansion and growth,” said Brian Johanning, Superior Bowen vice president of business development. “We are continuing to beef up our corporate resources and strengthen our foundation for growth.”

Superior Bowen doubled its footprint when it consolidated operations into a 30,000 square feet office in the historically renovated McQueeny Lock Building, 520 W. Pennway. Previously, staff had been cobbled together in a workshop and three mobile trailers adjacent to one of the company’s six asphalt plants at Manchester Trafficway and I-70.

The makeshift campus embodied Superior Bowen’s trademark grittiness and offered clients an up-close view of the plant and equipment, but Owner Trey Bowen recognized that the company needed a change of scenery to grow. After searching unsuccessfully in the West Bottoms for new digs with plentiful parking, Bowen opted to join Centric Projects and Inspired Homes in the century-old brick building.

“When it came to recruiting and retaining the next generation of talent, we needed to be where that talent wanted to be, and that is here in the Crossroads,” Bowen said. “This is an established, vibrant area.”

Superior Bowen also added four positions to its leadership team in 2018, hiring new vice presidents of marketing, human resources and business development, as well as a new safety director. Each hire is more than just an employee; they’re an investment in Superior Bowen’s future.

“When people come here, they don’t leave. During the Great Recession, nobody was laid off,” Bowen added. “We have room to grow here, which is purposeful.”