Believers now outnumber doubters in today’s discussion of downtown Kansas City’s viability as a focus of employment.
Even without recent and dramatic announcements, the area has been steadily building its employment base. Especially when the comprehensive, “greater downtown” is examined, a surprisingly healthy picture emerges.
In one recent study, Kansas City’s Downtown Council identified 2,345 private businesses employing 82,645 people. Significantly, this count was only as far south as 31st Street and included only private sector workers. If the more than 12,000 downtown government employees and workers from businesses south to the Plaza are included, the number increases to well over 100,000.
Yet recent and dramatic announcements cannot be overlooked. The biggest involves the new world headquarters downtown for H&R Block. To be located at 14th and Main, this new 500,000 sq. ft. office building and 1,250-space parking garage will cost an estimated $308 million. Completion of the new facilities is slated for 2006.
Other developments are equally significant, both in terms of employment and to the area’s redevelopment. Here is a district-by-district view of some of the highlights:
River Market District
The HOK architectural firm specializing in sports venue and event venues has begun their 100,000-square-foot on 4th Street, with an estimated cost of $30 million. The architecture firm’s new facilities will bring an additional 250-plus employees to work in the area each day.
Quality Hill
Shirley Helzberg’s restoration of properties near 10th and Pennsylvania includes the Blossom House, the Brockett/Griffen House and the Brockett Carriage House. Completion for occupancy of these historic buildings is expected in early 2005. Plans currently call for use of the structures as a non-profit campus. Helzberg’s success on a similar project for the Webster House provides a unique resume for this effort.
Nearby, work continues on the $8 million Folger Plant Renovation at 701 Broadway. This 170,000-square-foot project will nearly double the company’s employment there to nearly 150.
A recent move by Americo Financial Life and Annuity Insurance Co. added 200 jobs to the area. The firm this year began relocating its Dallas-based operations to its downtown headquarters at 1055 Broadway. The move expands Americo Financial's downtown work force to about 550 people. In 2002, the firm brought 65 employees here from Austin.
Crown Center
Some of the largest, employment-related construction is occurring around Crown Center. The Internal Revenue Service efforts to utilize the former main post office building are one of the biggest. Working with DST Realty, the plan involves a $381 million project that will create a 1.14 million sq. ft. office complex, parking garages with 1,900 spaces, a 25,000-square-foot daycare center, a pedestrian overpass to the north, plus renovation of existing buildings. The work will consolidate more than 4,000 IRS employees in this single area.
Construction cranes are up and working on the nearly $200 million, 600,000-square-foot Federal Reserve Bank at 29th and Main. This 12-story structure is expected to be complete in 2008 and will house more than 1,100 workers.
Both of these projects will follow completion of nearby headquarters for Shook Hardy & Bacon. This 624,000-square-foot, $25 million building includes 24 stories rising from the southeast section of Crown Center. One of the largest law firms in the country, Shook Hardy and Bacon is utilize the entire structure and continues to lease space near their headquarters.
Construction of the new Federal Reserve Bank will begin in late summer 2005 to be completed in the spring of 2008. The $200 million project resides on a 15.7 acre site just south of the Liberty Memorial.Government District
Several additions and renovations are underway in the complex of government buildings surrounding 11th and Locust. The Jackson County Courthouse will see a $26 million renovation and a similar overhaul on the nearby Kansas City Police Headquarters will cost $18 million. A $13 million Police Communications Center addition has also been approved.
In addition, two projects are renovating and improving the Jackson County Courthouse. That work, totaling $13 million, includes safety improvements and rehabilitation of a deck.
To the south, a $200 million renovation continues on the Bolling Federal Building, originally built in 1965 and the main federal government office in Kansas City.
Financial District
The New England Bank Building renovation can qualify for both work and play. This $4 million project has received approval for renovation of 77,000 square feet of office space and conversion of 7,000 square feet of restaurant space on 10th Street.
The $48 million Commerce Bank Trust Building renovation at 922 Walnut Street includes reconfiguration and rehabilitation of the facility into a 270,000 sq. ft. office building by connecting floors across a light well. Nearby, an $8 million renovation of former Western Union Building at 8th and Walnut is planned to create mixed-use office and retail.
Though not new construction, expansion completed late in 2003 at 12th and Walnut made room for the consolidated offices of law firm Stinson Morrison Hecker. The 160,000 of space made room for consolidation of the firm’s two previous offices and now houses nearly 400 people.
The new Plaza Colonnade is located on the south-east corner of Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza.Plaza/Brush Creek
In barely a decade, the Brush Creek Corridor has seen more than $1 billion in investment. Projects range from Valencia Place to the Stowers Institute for Medical Research and the Ewing and Muriel Kauffman Foundation and Memorial Garden. The newest structure is one of the few speculative office buildings recently constructed in the city, the 350,000-square-foot Plaza Colonnade. Blackwell Sanders Peper Martin will occupy nearly half of the new building, which commands a dramatic overlook of the Plaza.
Entertainment District
Although the bulk of the news regarding the Kansas City Live! District involves its potential impact on downtown nightlife, one issue has what some might consider a more serious aspect.
Discussion of possible tenants for the Cordish development includes everything from a bowling alley to a piano bar. But the most universally appreciated addition may be a possible grocery market. A market would be good news for downtown residents and even some workers who see the downtown’s lack of such as staple as major gap.
Crossroads District
Just across the south freeway loop from Bartle Hall, the new Kansas City Star Production plant is nearing completion. This dramatic, nearly $200 million project has resulted in 424,000-square-foot of production space at 16th and McGee.
With four, 60-foot-tall presses, the new facility is expected to begin producing newspapers in early 2006. However, the building’s dramatic appearance may have the most impact. The structure will be sheathed in blue glass and green metal, with a swooping roof facing the downtown skyline.
Hospital Hill
East and south of Crown Center, several health-related projects are in progress.
In addition to the ever-growing Children’s Mercy Hospital, Western Missouri Mental Health Center is completing a new facility immediately north of its existing complex at 1000 E. 24th Street. The $40 million project encompasses approximately 218,000-square-foot, and will include a 115-bed acute mental health facility containing patient rooms, isolation rooms, nurse stations, emergency rooms, triage spaces, office tower, gymnasium, full service kitchen and dining areas, as well as support and ancillary spaces.
Not far away, Truman Medical Center is expending $14 million on expansion of the emergency room. Located at 23rd and Charlotte, this work has resulted in 13,000-square-foot of additional space. Another $5 million was invested in parking at the site.
At 25th and Holmes, the University of Missouri at Kansas City Life Sciences Building will cost $39 million. Set for completion in 2007, the new structure will provide more space for research and instruction. The building eventually will house UMKC’s schools of nursing and pharmacy and house other basic life sciences programs. LWP