Commercial Real Estate

On a misty early June afternoon, in the conference room atop one of Kansas City's great signature buildings, the newly renamed Landmark Tower, with its truly spectacular view of the Crown Center/Downtown area, more than thirty of Kansas City's real estate leaders convened to discuss the state of their industry. This lively forum was more than ably chaired by Jim Stacy of MC Lioness Realty Group.

The forum was part of Ingram's ongoing Industry Outlook series. And for all the obvious problems in the commercial real estate market nationally, and even locally, one could not help but sense a quiet optimism that the proverbial brighter day was around the corner.

Job Creation

The challenges were transparent enough, and many of those that affect the industry are literally global. As Ken Block observed, "The economy as a whole is really at a standstill." At least, it seems that way to those who deal in office and industrial properties, the two sectors hardest hit.

In fact, the national economy has been growing, if slowly, for some time. One problem, Ted Murray noted, is that in this recovery productivity improvements based on technology have limited employment opportunities. The result is "a different kind of recovery." Barry Brady described the problem as a "lack of job creation," and this, Larry Buck agreed, "is our biggest challenge right now."

Series Sponsors

Participants Include:
(front row, left to right)
Dick Ahsmuhs,
UMB Bank,
Asset Management Div.
Diane Ruggiero,
Kansas City Regional Association of Realtors
Ken Block,
Block & Company
Olen Monsees,
B.A. Karbank & Company
Kathy Hunt Woodward,
Dean Development, Inc.
Mark Martin,
Space Center Kansas City
Tim Schaffer,
Cohen-Esrey Real Estate

(second row seated, left to right)
Jerry Fogel,
Kessinger Hunter
Frazier Bell,
Colliers Turley Tucker Martin
David Zimmer,
Zimmer Real Estate Services
Larry Buck,
Prudential Summers Realtors
Bob Johnson,
R.H. Johnson & Company
Barry Brady,
Highwood Properties
Bucky Brooks,
First Scout Realty Advisors
Buzz Willard,
Tower Properties

(back row, left to right)
Don Maddux,
Prudential Real Estate
Chris Wally,
Trammell Crow
Jeff Haney,
Dial Realty
Ted Murray,
Grubb & Ellis/The Winbury Group
Mike Helmuth,
RED Development
Bob Schock,
Yarco Companies
Rick Baier,
CB Richard Ellis
John Rubenstein,
Rubenstein Real Estate Co.
Rick Nash,
Crown Center Redevelopment
Carl LaSala,
LaSala-Sonnenberg Realty
Vincent Gauthier,
Urban Coeur Development
Jim Stacy,
MC Lioness Realty Group, (Chair)
Steve Lynn,
Commerce Bank
Tom Turner,
Collateral Mortgage
Mark Ledom,
Landmark Tower, (Co-Sponsor & Host)
Michelle Sweeney,
Ingram’s Magazine