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But will the new stadium (above, a side view of piers and recent grading) help Kansas City’s chances as some type of venue for the World Cup if the United States is chosen as the host for either 2018 or 2022? Ficklin said the stadium will definitely help, and that it is one of the proposed base camps for our World Cup bid, meaning a country would come a few weeks beforehand and live and train at the new Wizards Stadium.

CREW members swing into happy hour with a little putt putting

The reception was held at Rosemann & Associates, 1526 Grand. From left are Jennifer Gach – Zimmer Real Estate Services, Scott Rosemann – Rosemann & Associates, Liz Flowers and Emily Ostertag – both with Rosemann & Associates.

High-end living is alive and well on the Country Club Plaza, said Drew Hood (above with his wife, Melissa), developer of The Villas on Plaza West, a seven-unit town house development at Roanoke Parkway and Jarboe Street. Hood, manager of Plaza West Development LLC,  describes the new homes as incorporating “European, Old World design with modern amenities.” That means elevators, wine cellars, theater rooms, two-car garages and two laundry rooms in the homes that range from $1 to $2 million. “Everything is custom,” Hood said as he met with agents recently who are representing the property, including (below) Jim Gamble of the Gamble Realty Group and Tom Suther with Reece & Nichols.

Hood’s partner, Mike Dobbs, a builder from Springfield, Mo., oversaw construction, and the architect on the project was Jason Thompson. Hood also has built four homes just south of the townhomes (below, just left of the townhomes) that are about 3,000 square feet and in the $750,000-$900,000 price range. “This area just west of the Plaza is really quiet and you can walk just about anywhere,” Hood said.

Below, agents Liz Leschber, Lindsay Sullivan and Melissa Hood, all with Reece & Nichols, in one of the custom-designed kitchens. 

Group offers tips on electronics for the home

Should I throw away my VCR? Should I create a home theater? Advice from the CEDIA, or Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association, is geared toward the homeowner but also is beneficial to the builder, architect and interior designer. When building or remodeling,  use this list as a reference for making recommendations in regards to home electronics.

1. Wire for everything now…even wireless – If you are building or remodeling a home, start with a plan for future wiring needs. Wire is necessary to support wireless applications.

2. Insist on integrated systems – Make sure the electronic equipment you are buying can be hooked up together and operated with one, easy to use control system. Systems that communicate simplify your life and offer peace of mind by “watching” over your home.

3. Integrate lighting and heating control – Going green meets convenience. Get the most out of your system with the least amount of energy consumption. System integration provides automatic energy-efficient adjustments saving you time and money.

4. Think with your wallet, but lead with your head – Quality and long-term dependability are the most cost effective attributes that you can build into a home.

5. Buy an experience, not a box – Find an electronic systems contractor that allows you to test drive the entire system or at least experience the thrill of a high performance system. Few people have the time to research and evaluate all the hardware choices. It’s smarter to focus on the end result and make your choices based upon overall performance and value.

6. Simplify your controls – Easy to use, all-in-one remote controls are available for any system. You can even have them custom programmed so they make perfect sense to you. New technologies offer control from other devices and even through Internet browsers anywhere in the world.

7. Increase your expectations – Your home electronics system is a big investment and you deserve to be satisfied with it.

8. Think “green” – By utilizing green practices, you can save money by having a more energy efficient system and help save the planet. Ask a professional about how you can “go green” in your home.

9. Ensure the experts work together for you – Maximize your home’s electronic systems capabilities by having the architect, builder or remodeler, and interior designer collaborate and partner with an electronic systems contractor from the beginning of the planning process.

10. Consult a professional – Today’s integrated electronic systems grow, evolve and change over time, constantly adding entertainment, comfort and security features. Select an electronic systems contractor you can trust and who will support your electronic integration needs for years. Having a long-term relationship with one professional will maximize the reliability and enjoyment of your home’s electronic systems.

The local chapter of IFMA doesn’t just focus on educating those currently connected to facility management – they also have a close eye on the future. When I sat down with local IFMA President John Strharsky I got caught up on IFMA’s recent events but I also got the opportunity to learn about all the possibilities and programs they have in place for students in the area!

Above, President John Strharsky works on the group’s strategic plan with other members of IFMA.  Strharsky is finishing up his year as president and previously served two terms as the organization’s vice president.

For people less familiar with your organization, what are the main goals of IFMA?

Our main goal is to educate our members and to promote facilities management as a career choice for young people.  KCIFMA does a variety of different things. We have an outreach program; we like to have students from the nearby colleges get involved. Our membership committee includes a student liaison. We also have a scholarship program, which students with related degrees (architecture, engineering, interior design, etc) are encouraged to apply. In addition to our local chapter scholarship, the IFMA National Organization offers scholarships and all the different local chapters contribute to it too.

What does the student liaison position entail?

It’s a member who visits colleges and lets career counselors know about our scholarships and invites students to our meetings.  This is one of the ways we keep in-touch with students.  Recently we worked with the professors to at KU to establish some courses related to property management. If that catches on, we will try to institute a full course program.  Currently Kansas City does not have a property management degree program here locally at KU or UMKC.

What have events have your members recently attended?

We have planned many types of events. We recently had our golf outing on June 8 at Drummond Farm (above).  This event is held once a year and is our scholarship fundraiser.

Our local chapter holds monthly meetings.  The next one is at the Jewish Community Center on July 20.  At this meeting we are going to swear in our new officers. We have had meetings in the past on a wide variety of topics. We met with Mike Thompson and held a special meeting on weather for property managers. FEMA had a presentation on Emergency Management and gave us a tour of their facility off of Ward Parkway (below). We visited JE Dunn’s new LEED Certified building and learned about sustainability.

What do you have coming up that people should know about?

Our August meeting is on the Federal Government’s Energy Star program. It’s about implementing energy saving strategies and technology into buildings to make them more efficient.  Our local Chapter is working on our strategic plan for next 5 years.  Meeting sessions have been held for the past two months. We are hoping to finalize our plan soon.

How have current events impacted IFMA?

We try to have classes on topics such as sustainability and the environment not only because it’s popular, but also because businesses can save money by conserving energy. We hold special training sessions.  Recently we had one on “green leases” where we partnered with BOMA and a few other local organizations to bring in a speaker from out of town.  To help with educational expenses at the local chapter we had some discounts on meetings and educational seminars. We also had some free webinars. Our local chapter paid for them so that our members could view them at no charge.

So you mentioned that you held a class on “green leases,” could you tell me a little more about that?

A green lease contains certain provisions that both the tenant and the building owner agree on that help promote a clean environment and save energy in the building.  These provisions involve building operations, water conservation or the recycling of trash. They are referred to as green leases because they have additional statements in them that aren’t normally in a standard lease.

How does someone get involved with IFMA?

Visitors are always welcome to a meeting or visit our website.  The membership committee’s contact information is listed on our website.  Anyone can talk or chat with an officer to help guide them through the application process and complete the forms. There is a national website too, and it is possible to fill out application forms there if they like.  IFMA has an annual membership fee that covers national and local dues. We also have a student membership fee that is less expensive.

All of the applications are reviewed on a national level at the headquarters in Houston, Texas. After the applications are processed, we get notified on a local level and we greet our new members. We like to introduce new members at meetings and pair them up with somebody so they feel right at home when they start getting involved.

What kinds of resources does IFMA have?

IFMA has many resources for students and active facility managers.  There is an online bookstore where members can buy educational products.  These products include education classes, seminars, books and webinars. There are two types of professional certifications. Resources are available for members to become a Certified Facility Manager or Facility Management Professional.

At IFMA’s World Workplace, held every year in a different city, there are certification classes offered. The FMP — facility management professional — is based on books and formal training courses. The CFM designation is obtained by passing an experienced-based text.  The test involves questions in different categories (construction, codes and standards, building drawings, etc.) It’s about a four-hour exam!  Several years ago when I took the test it was an eight-hour exam.

About how many members are in the local IFMA chapter?

The local Kansas City Chapter has about 215 members.

Who is ideal for IFMA membership?

We offer a wide variety of resources that are helpful to different types of professionals  — besides facility managers, we encourage architects, engineers, building owners, and real estate investors to join us. We have many events that provide an excellent opportunity for networking with other people in the business.  For example, vendors that have a building product can join IFMA and  meet people that actually need their service. At some of our seminars, vendors are invited to show their latest products and services.  For architects, interior designers, engineers and anyone involved with construction, membership offers them the ability to learn more about buildings and their operation. Membership can lead to finding a new niche market.  Real estate brokers and sales people can benefit as well.
IFMA’S membership even stretches worldwide with chapters in many countries.

Allen Fieldhouse renovation a slam dunk 

Both John Wilkins (left) and Anthony Rohr (right) of Gould Evans graduated with degrees in architecture from the University of Kansas. But back then, the two Jayhawks never imagined they’d be working on one of the biggest projects the Lawrence campus has ever seen: the transformative, $42-million renovation of Allen Fieldhouse and the Athletics Complex. “This project was unique from the standpoint that the Fieldhouse is such an iconic building to so many people,” said Wilkins, principal-in-charge of the renovations and addition. “Everyone you bump into has been in that building. So the challenge was to make this renovation really, really good.” Obviously, that’s the way it turned out. Gould Evans recently earned distinctive recognition from the International Interior Design Association for its work on the renovation. The project also garnered other awards from the Associated General Contractors of America and the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America.

The renovation included a new indoor basketball practice facility that can be viewed from the new donor atrium (below) that runs the length of the fieldhouse’s west concourse. Those were the centerpieces of the renovation. Other renovations included new men’s and women’s clubhouses with locker rooms, lounges, film rooms, offices, wider concourses and reorganized stairwells. Anyone who’s been there recently has experienced the new “history walk” that depicts a timeline of the men’s and women’s basketball programs.

“Two realities constantly confronted us as we progressed through the design of the AFH renovation,” said Rohr, design principal for the project. “The first was that we had to touch the original, historic building lightly in every scenario possible. The second was the ‘experiential design,’ or making design decisions based upon the layers of experiences of all the users. The experience of the fan, the student-athlete, the coach, the administration, the alumni, the visitor, etc. — they were all embraced. The lighting design was a vital tool towards executing those ideas – and it, obviously, worked well.” Wilkins added,  “I think the biggest challenge, really, was to connect the many buildings that were already there. They were built at different times with different construction and different qualities. We had to transfer everything into a modern-day facility and at the same time stay true to the traditions of Allen Fieldhouse. It had had some minor updates through the years, but all on the small scale. This was the first time since it was built that someone took a comprehensive approach to the whole facility. When we started there were five facilities, and our work connected them all together physically and with lighting and finishes and materials. It was really critical that we have one athletic complex when we were done, which was really the goal.” Below, the clubhouse vestibule.

BHC RHODES gets job done so customers can focus on business

BHC RHODES is a local engineering and surveying company based in Overland Park. Founded in 1992, its dynamic team of professionals which includes LEED accredited professionals is recognized as a leader in the industry. Its mission is simple — to help customers be successful at achieving their objectives by providing them with value-added design and management services.

“We’re really here to get the customer’s deal done,” said Kevin Honomichl, president of BHC RHODES. “We are their advocate. We are engaged with them every step of the way, and we know well in advance how to help them with their objectives. All the surveying and the engineering, it’s really just a means to an end, We are making sure all the bases are covered so our clients can focus on their business. Redevelopment and adaptive reuse of existing property and facilities will be important moving forward. It makes sense to reuse existing infrastructure where there is a known market. We can help by providing land surveying and engineering.” 

Above, BHC RHODES’ Commercial Development team leaders include Bob Lindeblad, Business Development; Kevin Honomichl, President, BHC RHODES; Brett Carlgren, Project Manager and Alan Michels, Project Manager. 

Honomichl also stressed that in these uncertain economic times, it is even more important to carefully choose a quality surveyor and engineering company.  “There are some deals out there, but think of it as if you were picking an orthopedic surgeon to do work on you knee, or you were choosing a financial advisor to protect your assets,” he said. “The cheapest one isn’t necessarily the best one or the one you want in your corner.”  

BHC RHODES is very proud to be associated with the new Wizards complex and casino being built in western Wyandotte County. BHC RHODES did the civil engineering for the Wizards new stadium, and both the survey and engineering work for the casino.  Other large projects include the renovation of the state capitol dome in Topeka. BHC RHODES was hired by JE Dunn Construction to perform High Definition Surveying (HDS) services to survey and create a 3D model of the dome to be used for designing and laying out the scaffolding structure and framework. BHC RHODES used HDS, or 3-D laser scanning (see picture below), on the project. The company of about 50 employees also is using this high-tech capability to remodel a local hospital’s surgical center.  “It’s a fantastic tool to use any time you are renovating an existing facility and you don’t have reliable, as-built drawings to work off of,” Honomichl said.

BHC RHODES is expanding. Recently, they opened an office in Dodge City, Kan. They are very excited about the market in this part of the state, and are working with partners to address the tremendous need for housing and retail in the area. BHC RHODES also is proud to be a new member of the Kansas City Area Development Council.  “I’m encouraged about the KC market,” Honomichl said. “And I’m even more impressed with what the KCADC is doing to grow the Kansas City community.” For more information about BHC RHODES, go to www.ibhc.com or call 913-663-1900.

Five agents are teaming up on Sunday to have an open house extravaganza in Corinth Downs, a maintenance provided community in Prairie Village. The homes will be open from 1 to 4 p.m., and the listing prices range from $500,000 to $950,000. Above, agent Gwenn Venable with Reece & Nichols shows off the front of her listing at 7925 Bristol Ct. Below, Twyla Rist’s listing at 26 Coventry Ct., also Reece & Nichols.

Other homes on the tour include Reece & Nichols agent Sandy Palmer’s listing at 7927 Bristol Ct., Robbie Smart’s Prudential listing at 23 Compton Ct., and Reece & Nichols agent Joanne Edward’s listing at 14 Coventry Ct. An interesting tidbit: Called “The Star of Kansas,” Prairie Village was named the best planned community in America by the National Association of Home Builders at its conception in 1949. Below, this four-bedroom house in Corinth Downs lists for $659,000.Stats show big sales drops in May, end of tax credit brings new woes

New-home sales tumbled 33 percent last month to a record low annual pace of 300,000, the Commerce Department said this week. And that’s only half the bad news. Sales of previously owned homes  fell 2.2 percent in May, the National Association of Realtors said, even as mortgage rates stayed at all-time lows. The end of the April tax credit put a strain on a market still hurting from the worst collapse since the Great Depression. Foreclosures may reach 1.9 million this year after a record 2 million in 2009, according to Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics Inc. in West Chester, Penn. And in the near future, combined sales of new and existing homes will drop 12 percent in the third quarter from the three months ending June 30, according to a forecast by Fannie Mae. The median U.S. home price slid 29 percent to an almost eight-year low of $164,600 in February from a peak of $230,300 in July 2006, according to data from the Realtors group. Prices will drop 3.6 percent this year after falling 4.5 percent in 2009, the Washington-based Mortgage Bankers Association estimates. And all this bad news – lower prices, fewer home sales and a drop in residential construction – will sap consumer spending. But in the end, unemployment is the main reason housing is weakening without the tax credit to spur demand. People just don’t buy homes when they are worried about their jobs, experts said.

Home Sense offers expert advice

Hunt Midwest recently launched Home Sense, a web-based video show featuring topics like staging your home for a faster sale, tips for improving curb appeal, and hot trends in new homes like organizational “drop-zones”. Local experts like Danny Triplett of Westland Landscape (above) share tips on outdoor lighting and landscape. Home Sense can be viewed via huntmidwest.tv, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.

The slogan at Jade Alarm Co. is “Providing Peace of Mind since 1969.” After spending some time at Jade, it’s clear they couldn’t have a more perfect mantra.

The history behind this company is truly something else. When an intruder tried to force his way into the home of Joe Pfefer’s parents, Joe experimented and, after a many trials, he finally found a system that worked. After that, word of Joe’s exceptional electronic skills began to spread and he began to grow the Company as people heard about the level of prompt service it provided. Joe’s parents would monitor the alarm receiver and when service was required Joe and his father would go out on calls together.

After operating out of his parents’ home for years, in 1981, Joe moved into the building at 7636 Troost. Since moving what started as a small, at-home business has continued to expand and has become the premier security alarm service provider for the Greater Kansas City area. Jade has always been on the edge of technology. This included being the first company in this area to utilize computerization to monitor the systems or offer radio as a viable alternative to phone lines. Despite continued growth and its size, it still hasn’t lost the customer loyalty that came out of a home office. Jade prides itself on being locally owned and operated and always, always being there when the customer calls for help.

I met up with Joe and General Operations Manager, Linda Butler, (in truly one of the securest buildings I have ever been in!) to hear about what continues to make Jade such a specialized and secure choice for Kansas Citians.

I understand you have your own monitoring system. What does that mean for Jade customers?

When the alarm triggers at some of these premises — fire alarm, burglar alarm — the signal comes here. Most other companies either subcontract it or you’re going through a huge call center that’s out of state or out of the country. Our Central Station does not use call cues, we have a real live dispatcher answering the phone. That means we believe we have faster customer service and better response times when alarms go off.

Another perk of being a Jade Alarm customer is around the clock service…and when you say around the clock service do you really mean all the time?

Absolutely. If a customer has a problem at 2 in the morning, on a weekend or during a holiday, it makes no difference. We still do it the way I did in the beginning. I built the company on service. We have a technician on call, he answers and can respond immediately. And it doesn’t cost the customer any more — whether it’s  10 am on a regular Monday or Christmas Eve.
We actually just had an incident last week, somebody who was using another compnay called up desperate for service. Their fire alarm was down and they had been told by their huge national provider that they’d get a guy out there in 10 days!

What is FireNet radio service?

We are the exclusive provider of this service in this area. It is a radio/wireless solution that allows us to monitor the fire alarm without any phone lines. Most systems require two phone lines. The  type of service has to be POTS (which actually stands for Plain Old Telephone Service). This is going to start to be a huge problem as POTS lines will start being disconnected in the coming years. And, as the number of POTS lines decreases, rates will escalate rapidly. Having FireNet radio will isolate our valued customers from problems associated with being connected to the phone company. This is why we have been very, very busy installing these systems for commercial building owners and managers.

Any other exciting projects or features here at Jade?

We do access control systems. We can monitor camera and surveillance systems from our central system.

What if a camera is broken and a business owner doesn’t even know it?

We check in the cameras remotely multiple times a day to ensure they’re working properly. Recently, at a well known restaurant, when checking the cameras, one of our Dispatchers noticed something was amiss. Responding to this service call, our technician pointed out to the business owner the camera was not ‘broken’ – it was actually turned away from the liquor cabinet and pointed to the blank wall! Reviewing the video led to the termination of the employee who had done this.

I noticed a lot of THANK YOU! notes hanging on the wall from the police department and customers)…what’s that all about?

We believe in complimenting the responding authorities when we have an actual alarm – this is our small way of saying ‘you are doing a great job!’.

Regarding our surveillance video camera systems:
The camera systems can be tied into the alarm systems to trip. When Jade Alarm puts in a camera system to augment the intrusion alarm, when the alarm goes off we’re able to immediately see video. Our Central Station dispatchers look on the cameras and can actually see a burglary or hold-up happening. We’re able to contact police and help ID the suspects. It’s very important. Many times we have burned DVDs for crime labs around the area. The remark by the police technicians is always that they are so glad we’re using the quality of equipment that we do because of the clarity of the pictures.

Recently, a building engineer said this about Jade: “When a service guy is here he’s really talking to ME and about MY system. And when I call into the central station, they know me as customer. They actually care about me.”

Yes, a lot of our customers compliment us on our dispatchers. When they call in we actually know the street where they live. We really do give very personnalized service. We’re very proud of that.

Now, you’re co-hosting a seminar tomorrow beginning at 8:30 a.m. What should people know about it?

We are bringing in a representative from Underwriters Laboratory — these are the certification people.  Insurance companies and fire marshals are beginning to mandate UL certificates. This seminar is to bring building managers  and engineers up to speed on the new 2010 fire code. We’re also going to be talking about wireless technology and other options that are becoming available.

You’ve been working with UL for decades…can you tell us what it means to be certified by them?

UL is a very stringent organization; they are for the customer. The UL certificate ensures that things are installed properly and maintained and serviced properly. We’ve seen it happen time and time again that customers aren’t getting the proper service. I saw somebody having sold a commercial grade fire alarm and the company that used residential grade equipment. And that’s just totally unacceptable! It won’t meet the code. They got the people’s money, and they are out of business now, and the customer is hung out to dry. We took it over and we’re bringing it up to code. The UL certificate ensures that things are installed properly and maintained and serviced properly. We’ve gotten a visit from them every year since 1981. And let me tell you, they check everything — every “i” is dotted and “t” is crossed!

Who else is putting on the seminar with you?

BOMA is also putting it on.

What would someone wanting to go need to know?

It’s being held from 8:30 a.m. – noon, at 1100 Main St. It’s on the second floor of the City Center Square. For more information and to reserve a space contact Susan Moore with BOMA at 816-985-7053

To learn more about the professional, personalized service and advanced technology at Jade give them a call at (816) 333-5233 or visit their website at www.jadealarm.com. 
Information regarding Jade Alarm Co.

FAST FACTS: *started 1969 *UL certified 1981*Joseph Pfefer – President*Janet Pfefer – Secretary/Treasure*provides ‘round the clock service*NBFAA Certified Technicians *NICET Certified Technicians*BOSCH Certified Security Dealer

Annual MGA event draws crowd

It was a packed house for the Missouri Growth Association’s fourth annual Kansas City Networking Event earlier this month inside the Hart Associates Showroom in downtown KC. Guests mingled and talked up some business as they enjoyed an open bar and buffet. Above, Amber Kuhnert with LANE4′s marketing team and John Hassler with Zimmer greeted guests. Hassler is new with Zimmer and works on the industrial side of the business.

Host Ann Auer mingled with Michael Nguyen of IronStone Bank and Jack Hanrahan of Hanrahan Investments.

Chris Sally with Development Initiatives joined his wife, Julie Sally, with Clear, a public affairs firm representing MGA for this event. Chris Sally recently leased 4,000 square feet at the First & Main office building, where two condos are currently for sale.

Mitch Reiber with Terracon, Jeff Placek with McCown Gordon Construction, MGA President Wendy Timm with Conrad Properties Corp., and Brett Gordon with McCown Gordon. Timm took advantage of the networking event as she discussed a few deals under her belt, such as the sale of luxury condominiums.

Jim Potter with Development Initiatives and Shelly Doris with CAM enjoyed the buffet. Below,  Austin Baier with LANE4 and Richard Bennesch with Novogradac & Co., a firm that offers market analysis and evaluation for developers appplying for low-income tax credits. Over at LANE4, Baier is keeping busy with property management, including the new Longview Park buildings.

 Steve Gasperi with Block & Co. Inc. Realtors secures deal for Noodles & Company

Steve Gasperi of Block & Company, Inc., Realtors, who exclusively represents Noodles & Company in Kansas and Missouri, negotiated a lease for the restaurant’s seventh restaurant in the metro area at 7600 State Line Road in Prairie Village. The restaurant (above) is already under construction and should open by mid-September. Westwood Financial represented the landlord in the transaction. Gasperi said Noodles & Company won’t stop with this new addition. “Noodles & Company is still looking to open 14 more restaurants in Kansas and Missourin the next three years,” he said.  We see lots of noodle dishes in Gasperi’s future.

Phase IV of Staley Hills Moving Ahead

It’s not often that you see new residential and especially “spec” housing construction these days, but Hunt Midwest Real Estate Development is leading the way in the Northland by adding a fourth phase to its Staley Hills community. Above, Brenner Holland, director of residential real estate operations and Tammy Henderson, director of residential marketing, are flanking the Staley Hills community plan. Staley Hills, which is located within the burgeoning Highway 152 corridor, will ultimately include 363 homes when fully completed. Phase IV will offer approximately 25 home sites, which should be ready for construction near the end of July.  “The first three phases of Staley Hills have been extremely popular with families looking in the upper $200,000s to upper $300,000s,” Holland said.  Nearly all of the first 110 home sites have been sold and are occupied, or they have specs or build jobs under construction. “With consumer confidence and demand on the upswing, this is the ideal time to move ahead with the build out of Phase IV,” he said.

Reece and Nichols agent Carolyn Heckert is the community manager at Staley Hills (above). The community is adjacent to Staley High School and the new Bell Prairie Elementary School and just north of the Staley Farms Golf Course. Neighborhood amenities include a community pool, walking trails and natural areas, making it ideal for families with children of all ages.  And recent road improvements and an interchange off M-152 at Maplewoods Parkway have given residents convenient access to Zona Rosa and to downtown via US 169. This home below was built by LBS Homes.

Good stats: Downtown residents enjoying urban lifestyle, survey shows

As part of the Downtown Housing Summit earlier this month, the Downtown Council released a new survey of downtown residents. Since it had been six years since the last survey was done, the 2010 survey highlighted some of the progress made in downtown living during the past half-decade. Some of the results:

• The demographics are stronger. In 2010, 70 percent of downtown respondents had household incomes of $50,000 or more, compared to 47 percent in 2004.
• It’s more than just single people. In 2010, 55 percent of respondents lived with another adult, a shift from the 37 percent of two-adult households downtown in 2004.
• Cosentino’s definitely filled a niche. In 2010, 67 percent of respondents said they shopped for groceries downtown, a turnaround from the 92 percent of respondents in 2004 who felt grocery shopping downtown was inadequate or lacking.
• The Power & Light District has been an obvious attraction, too. In 2010, 72 percent of respondents indicated they dined out for a casual dinner at least once a week, a turnaround from the 47 percent of respondents in 2004 who felt casual dining options were inadequate or lacking.
• In addition, downtown residents’ perceptions of downtown itself are overwhelmingly positive, a good sign for its future as a residential neighborhood destination.

Home of the Week: a stone cottage in move-in condition

Mary Payne with Keller Williams knows historic Leawood – just look at this stone cottage on one of the most sought-after streets in the neighborhood – High Drive. The four-bedroom home has been completely renovated and boasts a finished basement and a large, wooded backyard and deck. This gem is listed at $459,000. For more information, call Payne at 816-506-9493.

Mark Long, Zimmer Real Estate Services, Senior Vice President-Principal

Real Estate, specifically with Zimmer Real Estate Services, L.C., was a natural choice for senior vice president-principal, Mark Long. Long grew up hearing about corporate real estate in Kansas City from his dad, who spent years as the corporate real estate director for Hallmark Cards. Long said he grew up on real estate and the brokerage business.
“My dad had several dealings with Zimmer, and the Zimmer family, and he spoke very highly of the Zimmers,” Long said.

Some good timing in 1995 allowed Long to get involved and make a career with Zimmer, and some good timing on Monday morning allowed us to sit down with Long and hear about his work with the company.

What kinds of projects have you worked on at Zimmer?

I was able to play a key role in the University of Kansas Hospital’s acquisition of their 250,000 square-foot Cancer Research Center. I have been on the team that is handling the Unified Government’s Village West project and I’ve been involved with the leasing of the Crown Center office buildings. In addition, I’m the project manager for the marketing of CenterPoint Intermodal Center-Kansas City. I’m also particularly excited about a few things we’ve got in the works, like the Space Center in Independence, Mo. and work we’re doing for Truman Medical Center.

What are your thoughts on leading Zimmer’s brokerage group?

It’s very fun. Brokers are people that are self-starters. They are entrepreneurial and our role as a company is to help them be successful. It isn’t your typical management project where these people require a lot of oversight and direction. Our company gives them the tools to be successful. When you’re in a role like mine, you probably get more out of it than you put into it. It forces you to be involved and engaged in a lot of different types of projects. It’s great because the brokers here are very smart. I’ve learned a lot by being involved with all of them. In our company, we have people with 60 years of experience and people with 20-30 years of experience, and then you have a lot of people with 5 years or less. The people we’re hiring today are smart people who understand what it takes to be efficient. This new generation is really something to get excited about.

You mentioned a big project you’re working on right now, can you tell us about the intermodal project?

CenterPoint Intermodal Center-Kansas City is one of the most exciting real estate developments in the entire region. It’s hard to find a better industrial development project anywhere. This project is the accumulation of about 15 years of involvement for Zimmer. Actually, one of my first assignments when I came to Zimmer involved this project. At that time, the assignment was to study possible projects for reuse of the former Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base. We helped the city determine what the area was best suited for, which we found to be an industrial park redevelopment and intermodal center. During this time, Kansas City Southern Railway became engaged in Mexico and investing in a North-South route, which resulted in moving their intermodal operation to this site. They’ve utilized what was the main North-South runway — which is now two miles of track and intermodal operations. The rest of the project site stretches West to 71 Highway. CenterPoint Properties has committed more than $300 million to the park and has already spent more than $30 million on infrastructure — streets are paved and all sites have utilities and storm water retention in place.

The park is suited for a variety of users such as distribution centers and manufacturing companies. These companies can take advantage of the cost savings available at CIC-KC. Since this park was announced, we have seen a steady stream of activity and interest in the site. There is more activity today than we have ever seen. We are hopeful we will be able to announce our first tenant soon.

So when was the park first announced?

The infrastructure development was completed in the in the fall of 2009, and it was first announced in 2008.

Can you tell us anything about Centerpoint Properties?

Centerpoint has made a huge commitment to Kansas City. They have opened an office here and Senior Vice President, Jim Cross and his family are moving to Kansas City. We are very fortunate to have them in Kansas City because of their resources. They have a lot of expertise in intermodal and industrial development.

In addition, we have teamed with CenterPoint to create CenterPoint Zimmer LLC and act as the developer of the new NNSA/NSC campus which will be located directly across M-150 from the intermodal Center. This region of Kansas City is going through a very exciting time right now. This week’s announcement of a lease agreement with the General Services Administration adds to the excitement surrounding both of these projects. The federal complex is only the second billion-dollar development project in Kansas City. At Zimmer, we’re extremely proud to say we’ve played a prominent role in both.

An example of the types of large buildings that may be at the center.

Obviously, you’ve worked with CenterPoint on this project, but who else has been involved?

The Port Authority of Kansas City and the Kansas City Economic Development Council have also been involved with the project, as well as Cornerstone Architects, Lutjen Engineers and Kansas City Southern.

How many businesses and/or buildings do you look to have at the site?

The first phase is 375 acres. The way we’ve laid the park out, we’re suited for larger buildings. We are looking for larger users. We have building sites that can accommodate up to one million square foot buildings.

Is the recession impacting your work at the intermodal center?

Of course, that is of concern. What we are seeing is that businesses continue to look at ways to save money and improve their supply chain. They want to create the opportunities to reduce their expenses, and with efficient buildings and efficient transportation networks in place at CIC-KC, we continue to see a lot of activity. What we offer companies is a way to save money. Transportation savings alone can sometimes equal what a company is paying in rent. We can offer more efficient buildings. This intermodal center has practically every available incentive. We think one of the reasons we’re seeing so much activity is because of this push to make improvements in supply-chain management. But, I also think the economy is making people very methodical in their decision making and projects aren’t getting done as quickly as they once were.

So what’s the bottom line on this project?

CenterPoint is one of the most active development firms in the country right now. While a lot of firms are slowing down, CenterPoint continues to press forward and they are committed to Kansas City. They have the resources and the motivation to make sure this is a successful project — so I know it will be. It will be like nothing Kansas City has ever seen.

And just for fun, to bring this full circle and back to your home life, what are you and your family doing this summer?

We live out at Lake Winnebago and so our family spends a lot of time out there. My kids, George and Anna, enjoy fishing and wakeboarding. We have a big time out there. We just had a sailboat race at Lake Lotawana. My wife, Aimee, and I also do Fleet Races every weekend and we travel to a couple others. My boat’s name is Puff Daddy! Aimee and I enjoy sailing and entertaining. I also enjoy cycling and play bass guitar in a local band — Rock Cove. I keep busy coaching George’s T-ball team and I also run the children’s program at our local church.

Dan Musser with Zimmer and Wayne Feuerborn with HNTB came away from the meeting with lots of good information, including the fact that the panel stressed that young people these days want a walkable city and a town center to visit. Retrofiting communities to create fewer, shorter trips for people is one of the hot topics in infrastruture these days.

Stephanie Pilkington , legal counsel for Associated Wholesale Grocers, joined her friend .Janet O’Bannon with Lewis, Rice & Fingersh, and Janet’s daughter, Dana Kalt, at the showhouse. The spiral staircase was a focal point of the entryway,  but this group liked the remodeled kitchen and first-floor library the best.