Mission Gateway development lands key financing

The developers of Mission Gateway have secured intermediate financing needed to get construction moving on all fronts of the long-awaited mixed-use project located at the site of the former Mission Center Mall.

GFI Development and The Cameron Group are eyeing 2021 for the project’s full completion, thanks to $20 million in fresh financing secured through Metropolitan Commercial Bank. The funds will allow construction to commence on the project’s 130,000-square foot entertainment portion by the end of April. Site preparation began for Mission Gateway’s three apartment-over-retail buildings last fall and those structures are on target for delivery by the end of 2020.

 “The financing we have secured and closed will allow us to continue to deliver what we promised,” Tom Valenti of The Cameron Group told MetroWire Media.

Mission Gateway’s entertainment area will include an unnamed anchor tenant who will operate a 90,000-square-foot entertainment complex to complement a 40,000-square-foot food hall from Chef Tom Colicchio’s Crafted Hospitality.

“We were out there looking for financing, and it is coming to us in two ways. We secured the first wave of financing done through Metropolitan Commercial Bank, our lending partner. And we continue to work with Mission Capital, our capital advisors throughout the process,” said Andy Ashwal of GFI Development.

In January, GFI and the Cameron Group announced they were seeking a finance partner and bumping up the construction timeline after landing the unnamed destination entertainment tenant.  

Mission Gateway snapshot:

-Colliers International will handle Mission Gateway’s office and retail leasing.

-Neighbors Construction is expected to complete the multifamily portion of the project in April 2020.

-Fogel-Anderson Construction Co. is serving as construction manager for the entire redevelopment project at Johnson Drive and Shawnee Mission Parkway.

-El Dorado, Inc. designed the overall master plan. 

-NSPJ is architect of record for the Element by Westin hotel.

 For more info, please visit www.missiongatewaykc.com

Populous helps lead national esports movement

In a nod to what is being called the “next generation consumer,” Kansas City-based Populous is teaming up with Comcast Spectacor and The Cordish Companies to build Fusion Arena, a $50 million esports and entertainment venue in the heart of the Philadelphia Sports Complex. 

“Fusion Arena represents a watershed moment for the competitive gaming market,” said Populous Senior Principal Brian Mirakian. “We’re taking our 36 years of designing iconic experiences for traditional sports- settings like Yankee Stadium- and applying those same principles of design to the virtual world of gaming.”

The future home to the Philadelphia Fusion esports franchise will have seating for up to 3,500 guests and will serve as the “western hemisphere’s largest ground-up, purpose-built esports venue,” according to a release. 

Earlier this month, Mirakian spoke at SXSW and discussed how esports venues can bring cities and sports teams new revenue streams, increased commerce and development and reinvigorated neighborhoods. 

The rise of esports development and design was a big topic for panelists at MetroWire Media’s Game On event covering sports and entertainment development and design on March 7.

“Esports is exploding as more universities starting to offer scholarships,” said James Dietz of Henderson Engineers, which served as the low-voltage engineering firm of record for the Esports Arlington Stadium. “These facilities require high connectivity and people are starting to look at a specific sport and turn it into more of a fan experience for video gamers out there.”

Overland Park-based Dimensional Innovations also is seeing more opportunity in esports, particularly on college campuses. “We are working on two university gaming/training facilities, so there is definitely a strong trend in that marketplace,” added DI co-founder Justin Wood. 

Populous’ Philadelphia venue will incorporate industrial materials that pay tribute to that city’s heritage as “workshop of the world” and will include a 6,000-square foot public entry and 2000 square feet of interactive media hovering 30 feet above. 

In addition to hosting competitive gaming events and elite training, the arena will be designed to host a variety of live entertainment programming and experiences, offering unique seating experiences such as balcony bars, club seats with USB ports, flexible loge boxes and exclusive suites. Additionally, nearly 10,000 square feet will be dedicated to a training facility, broadcast studio and team offices. 

“Fusion Arena will set the gold standard for competitive gaming and debut on one of the country’s most exciting platforms of sports and entertainment...” said Blake Cordish, Principal of The Cordish Companies, which also served as master developer of the Kansas City Power & Light District.  

Sprint HQ buyer Occidental eyes acreage adjacent to OP campus

Wichita-based Occidental Management expects to close on the Sprint Campus in the next 30 days. CEO Gary Oborny and President Chad Stafford talked with MetroWire Media about what led to the acquisition and plans for the sprawling Overland Park campus and adjacent land.

MWM: When did you first become interested in buying the Sprint campus?

Oborny: We heard that Sprint was looking at divesting at some point, so we started following opportunities to get closer to the situation and look at how we might connect on a potential deal. We sat back while Sprint figured out what to do. Then we contacted Cushman & Wakefield when the property was placed with them for a national search last year.  

MWM: How did your 2014 purchase of the former Overland Park International Trade Center (OPx) adjacent to the Sprint campus play into the acquisition?

Oborny: OPx was our introduction into the market. It helped us build relationships in Kansas City and Overland Park, so the Sprint campus was a natural fit. 

MWM: What is your short-term game plan for the campus?

Oborny: We want to enhance existing amenities and bring additional amenities for tenants who want to be on the campus. There are a number of cafeterias and food venues, so we will look at bringing in guest chefs and maybe freshening those spaces. We’re also looking at conceptual ideas to improve the overall aesthetics of the campus, so we will be look at revitalizing existing buildings to make them a little more contemporary... Eventually we’ll undergo a full rebrand of the campus. 

MWM: What will Sprint’s ongoing presence be?

Stafford: Sprint will continue to be the largest tenant, and the company is making a commitment to Kansas City with a long-term lease situation, but that’s all we can say right now. Sprint and Occidental are both focused on recruitment and retention of associates and employees on the campus. 

MWM: What is the current tenant mix and how do you see that changing?

Stafford: There’s a good mix right now between health care and financial services companies. There is also good infrastructure for technology-related companies, so there is opportunity there. 

MWM: What additional opportunities do you see? 

Oborny: We are looking at the 60 acres near 119th and Nall that have never been opened to commercial development. We see an opportunity to bring amenities to that vacant land such as hotel, restaurants and retail, but for right now we have to close. 

MWM: This is a huge transaction. What’s next for Occidental?

Oborny: Yes, it’s a big opportunity. We see a natural progression for us in Midwest cities, so development opportunities in the $100-$300 million range are certainly always of interest.

JPMorgan Chase will open full-service bank in former Dean & Deluca space

The former Dean & Deluca space at Town Center Plaza in Leawood, Kan. will find new life as a full-service retail bank, part of JPMorgan Chase's push into the Kansas City market and deeper into Bank of America markets.

The largest bank in the U.S. has signed a lease to expand into the 9,000-square foot former gourmet food purveyor located at the northwest corner of Roe Avenue and 119th Street. An exact opening date is unclear.

Scott K. Miller and Adam Blue of AREA Real Estate Advisors brokered the lease on behalf of the building's owner. The deal comes less than a year after the prime retail outparcel adjacent to Town Center Plaza hit the market.

"We had a lot of interest from premier retailers due to its high-profile location," Miller said. "Everything from restaurants to service retailers and soft goods retailers looked at the space. Ultimately the best fit for everybody ended up being JPMorgan Chase."

Jeff Berg and Coleby Henzlik of Colliers International represented JPMorgan Chase in the transaction.

Last week, JPMorgan Chase announced plans to open its first full-service Kansas City area locations in 2019, with up to 15 branches in the works, according to The Kansas City Business Journal.