Pharmaceutical and e-commerce companies continue to thrive in SubTropolis

Less than a year after locating in SubTropolis, pharmaceutical company Nostrum Laboratories and online retailer FarmFoods have expanded their respective footprints a combined 52,000 SF within the world’s largest underground business complex.

Nostrum Laboratories more than tripled the size of its distribution facility while FarmFoods increased its footprint six-fold.

“We can deliver Class-A industrial space to our tenants in as little as 120 days, allowing companies like Nostrum and FarmFoods the ability to capitalize on the growth of their business,” said Mike Bell, senior vice president of commercial development at Hunt Midwest.

As an Energy Star-rated facility providing 24/7, year-round security, company leaders at New Jersey-based Nostrum Laboratories recognized the value proposition SubTropolis offered in meeting their climate-controlled requirements for product safety and quality control.

“The consistent control room temperature ranges in the underground allow us to efficiently meet these  requirements. Onsite security staff provide an additional level of security and peace of mind to our team,” said Teneshia Powell, senior production manager at Nostrum Laboratories. 

A soaring increase in online grocery shopping triggered the need for FarmFoods, an online retailer of fresh, farm-to-table food, to quickly expand its packaging and distribution facility to keep up with consumer demand.

“As a nationwide distributor, timely delivery of our products to consumers is critical. Locating in SubTropolis has allowed us to reach 90% of the United States within two days and in these uncertain times, quick, reliable food delivery is more important than ever,” said Janna Land, co-founder and chief operations officer at California-based FarmFoods.

Earlier this year, Hunt Midwest completed construction of 400,000 SF of speculative Class-A industrial and warehouse-logistics space, bringing the amount of leasable space in SubTropolis to more than 6.5 million SF.

With more than 7.5 million SF available for development and its adjacency to robust highway infrastructure, SubTropolis continues to offer an ideal option for growing e-commerce companies.

Community Builders of Kansas City acquires Sun Fresh

Community Builders of Kansas City (CBKC), the area’s largest urban core developer, announced today it will become the owner/operator of the Sun Fresh on Blue Parkway, one of the few full-service supermarkets east of Prospect Ave.

The transaction will be effective June 30, 2020, following the retirement of the current operator. CBKC, a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation formed in 1991, established Blue Parkway Grocers, LLC, as a for-profit entity to operate the store. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“This is another opportunity for CBKC to do what is right for our community in the urban core,” said Emmet Pierson, Jr., president and CEO of CBKC.

“Make no mistake, this is a big commitment for the organization but it is the right one to keep our community’s money in the community, to give them a best-in-class grocery and shopping experience and to ensure the continued performance of this grocery-anchored retail center that CBKC established here on Blue Parkway in 2005.”

The retail center, at more than 90 percent leased, is part of a larger real estate and asset management portfolio owned by CBKC that consists of 700 units of rental residential properties and 200,000 SF of commercial and retail space. The center is adjacent to a 69,000-SF office building where CBKC is headquartered, which is 100 percent leased.

CBKC is building a 64-unit, market rate apartment building, The Rochester on Blue Parkway, on the campus, part of more than $30 million in new development in the organization’s project pipeline.

Pierson noted that the Sun Fresh on Blue Parkway is more than just a real estate asset. The grocery store is about personal needs and experience, for both employees and customers. Addressing those starts with store leadership.

“We are pleased to welcome John King as the store director. King has had a long career as a grocery industry professional, including nearly twenty years as a Price Chopper/Hen House store director. We are excited to have his passion for quality in both the food product and customer experience as part of this store’s refresh,” Pierson said.

As is routine with similar operator transitions, all of the store’s employees will reapply for positions with eligibility subject to the usual hiring requirements. Downsizing of staff is not anticipated.

“We are excited and challenged by this new venture. While we never expected CBKC would become a grocery operator, we have found that doing what is needed for our community frequently exceeds expectations.” Pierson said.

Block drives reno for Oakwood Country Club

OCC Investors, LLC., an ownership group led by developer Ken Block, has purchased Oakwood Country Club at 9800 Grandview Rd. in Kansas City, Mo. with plans to begin renovations as early as this month.

“Our vision is to transform what is already a beloved property and golf course with a rich 139-year history into one that will be widely known as the state’s best - and what we hope will become the region’s best," said Block, who played his first round of golf at Oakwood Country Club at age nine.

OCC Investors brought in golf course and country club design and development experts from around the country to provide direction for the improvements of the course and grounds including Titan, Pinnacle Construction Group, Gensler and NSPJ Architects.

Work on the clubhouse and parking and grounds will be begin this summer, followed by the golf course. The first phase of the golf course is estimated to be complete by fall; the second phase includes opening new greens on several holes by next spring. A final round of upgrades will take place during the 2021 season.

Plans to transform the property from top to bottom for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons, include:

• A new, world-class golf range

• New cart paths

• Better Billy Bunker system sand traps

• New championship tees and multiple tees for golfers of all levels

• Enlarged and enhanced fairways

• Top-tier, short-game practice facility

• Golf simulators

• Heated golf bays

• Planned Center of Golf Excellence for teaching pros to instruct members and non-members

• Modernizing the property from the front entrance throughout the property

• Improvements to bar, grill and event spaces

• Newly designed and upgraded restrooms and sitting rooms

• Enhancements to outside decks, balconies and seating areas, including adding fire pits and enhanced lighting

• New parking facilities

“NSPJ is excited to be a part of the renovations at Oakwood Country Club. We are working on a modernization and rebranding of this historic golf course that focuses on the golf experience,” said Katie Martinovic, VP/principal landscape architect for NSPJ.

Founded in 1881, Oakwood Country Club is the oldest operating country club in Kansas City and was frequented by former President Harry S. Truman in the 1950s.

Local school construction projects stay on schedule despite pandemic

As schools sit empty and students adjust to learning from home under the current stay-at-home order, many local school construction projects continue to progress.

Hollis + Miller Architects, who specializes in education (architecture and design) and works with a large number of Kansas City-area school districts, has not seen much of a slowdown on their schools’ projects.

The firm is currently working on several school projects to ensure they are ready for the upcoming school year, including Park Hill School District's LEAD Innovation Studio, Liberty School District's Performing Arts Center and new additions to Blue Springs High School, including a state-of-the-art band practice space.

While safety for all contractors has been paramount, the projects have nevertheless been able to move forward, despite the current obstacles.

“We’ve implemented procedures to ensure we maintain project safety and are meeting the safety guidelines of the authorities,” said Mike Chiles, senior project manager for JE Dunn Construction, who is overseeing the trade partners on the Blue Springs HS project.

“Communication is key, and the teams have handled that well with daily huddles and constant on-site supervision,” Chiles said.

Chiles admits the current situation isn’t ideal; nonetheless, has encouraged the team to overcome any obstacles in an effort to keep construction progressing and on schedule.

“It’s a major project for the school and the community, and it will allow them to really expand their programs and ability to impact the community,” Chiles said.

“Maintaining those partnerships among the architect, contractors and trade partners is crucial, especially when a project is facing additional challenges like they are now,” said Kirk Horner, partner at Hollis + Miller.

Several projects remain on schedule to open in time for the fall 2020 school year.

“While the local community will take a while to bounce back from this, we see this kind of construction as a positive sign of economic health. Our local schools are committed to consistently improving the learning environments for our local students, and we’re privileged to contribute to that effort,” Horner said.