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There’s more going on in Manhattan, Kan., these days than college  football. Construction on Manhattan High School kicked off recently with a groundbreaking ceremony (above) celebrating the $36 million project. Designed by Gould Evans, it’s the largest construction project to come from the state’s $97.5 million bond issue that voters passed in November 2008. The large-scale expansion and remodel will add approximately 70,000 square feet to the existing 250,000-square-foot school.  A Colorado-based firm is the construction manager for the project, and Smith & Boucher Engineers of Olathe (led by president Philip Ptacek, P.E., LEED AP, DBIA) is the project’s mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineer. Construction is estimated to be completed in time for the spring semester in 2013. “The primary goal was to create a new identity for the school while respecting its heritage,” said Gould Evans Principal and MHS Project Manager Adam Sterns, AIA, LEED AP. “We expanded on this by reorganizing almost all of the building program to create a new core, containing a central commons, library, cafeteria and courtyards from which all other program elements are hinged. In doing so, we have reduced the school’s energy consumption by almost 55 percent over comparable projects.” Below, a drawing of their design.

Local CCIM Chapter wins President’s Cup Award for excellence

Way to go, CCIM! The Kansas City CCIM Chapter recently earned a President’s Cup Award in the sponsorships category in a competition conducted by the CCIM Institute, the governing body of one of the largest commercial real estate networks in the world.  The President’s Cup Award is given to CCIM chapters to recognize innovative and outstanding chapter programs, including membership recruitment and retention, promotion, special events, and fundraising activities. Above, Chuck Connely, 2010 president, and Shirley Harpool, vice president, display the clear acrylic President’s Cup award and the banner of excellence. The local chapter was judged on these key goals: promoting the value of Chapter membership to CCIM Designees, candidates and affiliate members; building a continuous awareness of the importance of recruitment through an ongoing membership campaign; developing innovative programs. In addition, the local CCIM chapter also received the chapter of excellency award  banner, which will be displayed at meetings and events. The Kansas City CCIM Chapter is headquartered in Kansas City and is one of 60 local/regional chapters affiliated with the CCIM Institute.  The chapter has 250 members representing all property types and disciplines of commercial investment real estate. For more information on membership or upcoming events, contact Cheri Ricky at 913-488-6745 or cheriricky@gmail.com.

Author talks to CREW about commercial real estate revolution

Speaker Bill Black,(above), national director of Strategic Business Solutions – Haworth, Inc., and a MINDSHIFT participant, spoke at the recent CREW  luncheon about the commercial real estate revolution. Black is co-author of “The Commercial Real Estate Revolution:  Nine Transforming Keys to Lowering Cost, Cutting Waste and Driving Change in a Broken Industry.” It’s a blueprint of new and better ways of working together as an industry. His main points included that there is no doubt that the commercial real estate industry is being transformed. But what exactly will the industry look like after the transformation? Black discussed how CoreNet’s 2009 Global Innovator’s Award recipient, MINDSHIFT, documented and mapped out what this industry revolution looks like. MINDSHIFT is a corporate real estate industry consortium, comprised of over 50 well respected leaders in real estate and business. After more than two years of collective efforts, MINDSHIFT produced the book, which answers the age old phrase: “There’s got to be a better way.”  It shows a way to give us all a decent chance to do a better job for our customers, ourselves, the broader economy and the environment. Below, CREW members at the Mission Hills Country Club luncheon.

One of Kansas City’s oldest and most distinguished neighborhoods will once again open its doors to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday during the 29th Hyde Park Historic Homes Tour. The Hyde Park Homes Tour (including the home above) has always promoted the neighborhood and surrounding area by showing people that it is a wonderful place to live and raise a family, with nice folks and beautiful homes, said this year’s co-chairs, Ben Nemenoff and Erin Nemenoff. The Homes Tour helps continue the neighborhood’s 30-year-long revival by building community awareness and showcasing the neighborhood’s unique history and character to everybody in the KC metro area. Below, a stately mansion will open its doors.

Stops along the way will include walking tours through several spectacular private homes, each with its own unique style of turn-of-the century charm and craftsmanship. Tour stops will also include Stine & McClure, St. James Church and two recently renovated apartment buildings on Armour Boulevard, illustrating the positive redevelopment underway in the heart of the urban core. Below, a renovated gem.

Hyde Park has a rich history in Kansas City, with the first homes being built in the 1890’s. In fact, Walt Disney once called Hyde Park home, and the last surviving member of the Titanic was with her mother on her way to visit a friend in Hyde Park when the ship went down. Advance tickets are $11 for adults and $9 for seniors and students. Ticket prices on tour day will be $2 more. Air-conditioned motor coaches will shuttle tour-goers to all the destinations, or you’re welcome to walk or drive to each of the  stops. Maps will be available with tickets. For more information, go to www.hydeparkkc.org.

Home sales rising but buyers still cautious as economy drags

Existing-home sales rose in August following a big correction in July, according to a report released last week by the National Association of Realtors. Sales increased 7.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.13 million in August from an upwardly revised 3.84 million in July, but remain 19 percent below the 5.10 million-unit pace in August 2009.

NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun said home sales still remain subpar. “The housing market is trying to recover on its own power without the home buyer tax credit. Despite very attractive affordability conditions, a housing market recovery will likely be slow and gradual because of lingering economic uncertainty.” According to Freddie Mac, the national average for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage fell to a record low 4.43 percent in August.  NAR President Vicki L. Cox said consumers have been getting mixed signals about the housing market. “People understand the good affordability conditions with stable home prices in most areas, but they’re concerned about the economy and speculation on Wall Street,” she said. “We need to stick with the facts about the long-term value of homeownership and avoid unrealistic assessments. Tight credit and slow short sales are ongoing problems – expediting short sales will help the market to recover more quickly.” Regionally, existing-home sales in the Midwest increased 5 percent in August to a pace of 840,000 but are 26.3 percent below a year ago. The median price in the Midwest was $149,600, up 0.4 percent from August 2009.

European style, family feel set Woodland Reserve apart

Realty Executives of Kansas City, led by Brenda Maier and Roberta Beringer, are marketing a premier subdivision in western Lenexa called Woodland Reserve. This popular community offers both new (see model above) and existing homes, and has quick access to K-10, K-7 and I-435 highways. What sets it apart from similar subdivisions is the European feel, the close-knit community, and the long list of amenities, Beringer said.

“There are so many young families here,” she said. “And most of our homes have tile roofs, which really looks wonderful.”

True, at Woodland Reserve you’re welcomed by Mediterranean-style architecture, fountains, stone walls and monuments. There are European-style cast stone columns and copper domed pavilions, islands with lush landscaping and Tuscan-style statuary. The subdivision also features more than 16 acres of parkland, a small lake, walking trails, a pool and more. Builders have included Bob Morrissey of Arch Design Builders, LLC, Ben Cerra with Ben Cerra Construction, Inc., Bob Myer of Bob Myer Builders, Inc., Don Julian of Don Julian Builders, Inc., and Mark Sumada of Suma Design and Construction. Below, two more model homes.  Home sites range from $79,900 to $154,900 with completed homes priced from $450,000 to $1,000,000+. Models are open daily.

For more information about Woodland Reserve, call Realty Executives at 913-764-9100.

Below, builder Don Julian

Industrial

Sokkia Corporation has extended their lease at 16900 West 118th Terrace, Olathe, Kan. in approximately 47,401 square feet of office and industrial space.  The building is owned by Karbank TechPark, LLP, in unity of the Karbank Companies and were represented in lease negotiations by Steven Karbank, Chairman of B.A. Karbank & Company. David J. Zimmer, SIOR, FRICS, in cooperation with Real Estate Strategies, represented Sokkia in lease negotiations.

Woodbridge Corporation has Leased 18,000 square feet of industrial space located at 208 N.W. Business Park Lane, Riverside, MO. Scott M. Cordes, Kenneth G. Block, SIOR, CCIM, and Zach Hubbard of Block Real Estate Services, LLC, handled the transaction.

Rainier Properties leased 11,009 square feet to UGL Equis located at 200 NE Missouri Bend, Lee’s Summit, MO.  Mike Lanning and Keith Baker of CB Richard Ellis represented the landlord and Steven Schlesinger, represented the Lessee.

SM Investments, LLC leased 9,750 square feet of industrial space to Integrity Wood Coatings, LLC located at 2011 Television Place, Kansas City, Missouri. John F. Delzer of Grubb & Ellis|The Winbury Group represented the Landlord in the transaction.

SBH & Associates sold 6,350 square feet of industrial space to Robin Sawyer of Skyline Construction located at 9120 Flint, Overland Park, Kansas. Thomas D. Haverty and Bryce A. Beasley of Grubb & Ellis|The Winbury Group represented the Seller in the transaction.

Office

Total Renal Care, Inc. (DaVita) has Leased 5,712 square feet of office space located at 13812 S. 71 Highway, Grandview, MO. Josh R Gabriel, Gene R. Elsas of Block Real Estate Services, LLC, in cooperation with Louis Carpenter of USI Real Estate, handled the transaction.

Kuehne and Nagel, has leased 3,108 square feet of space at Corporate Circle II to house their Kansas City Branch. Corporate Circle is a 200,000 square-foot, newly renovated multi-tenant complex located adjacent to Kansas City International Airport. Michael VanBuskirk, SIOR, CCIM, CRE and Nick Suarez of Zimmer represented the landlord, ZDG Investments L.P., while Brian Staton, of CBRE, represented the tenant.

Westport Nall Investors, LP and W&W Ventures, LC leased 2,230 square feet of office space to Kansas Venture Capital, Inc. at 10601 Mission Road, Building F, Leawood, Kansas. Phillip L. James and Douglas E. Weltner of Grubb & Ellis|The Winbury Group represented the Landlord in the transaction. Matt Eckert of Cassidy Turley Commercial Real Estate represented the Tenant.

Mass Investments, LLC leased 1,450 square feet of office space to Foxtrot, LLC located at 823 Massachusetts Street, Lawrence, Kansas. Allison Vance Moore of Grubb & Ellis|The Winbury Group represented the Landlord in the transaction.

Retail

Family Dollar, Inc. has Leased 11,355 square feet of retail space located at 6220 Nieman Road, Shawnee, KS. Don R. Maddux of Block Real Estate Services, LLC, handled the transaction.

AARO Real Estate, Inc. has Leased 7,500 square feet of retail space located at 921 W. Liberty Drive, Liberty, MO. Michelle Herman of Block Real Estate Services, LLC, handled the transaction.

BIG FISH, LLC has Leased 3,220 square feet of retail space located at 11151 Ash Drive, Leawood, KS.  Jason Schoonover of Block Real Estate Services, LLC, handled the transaction.

Deer Brook Plaza leased 1,200 square feet of retail space to Soccer Express located at 1217 NE Rice Road, Lee’s Summit, Missouri. Jordan Clark and Mark Arensberg of Grubb & Ellis|The Winbury Group represented the Landlord in the transaction. Anita Bates of Grubb & Ellis|The Winbury Group represented the Tenant.

Four Winds, LLC leased 1,200 square feet of retail space to Troys Toys and Collectibles, Inc. located at Four Winds Shopping Center, 7939 Frontage Road, Overland Park, Kansas. Mark Arensberg of Grubb & Ellis|The Winbury Group represented the Landlord in the transaction.

Recently we caught up with (above) Dennis Strait and Robert Whitman of Gould Evans and architect Susan Richards Johnson at the Liberty Memorial Generals’ wall for an update on the Liberty Memorial renovation plan. This past January, the Kansas City, Missouri Parks and Recreation Department, along with the Liberty Memorial Association, hired Gould Evans to determine the needs at Liberty Memorial in the areas of site security, irrigation, building energy upgrades, site drainage, exterior building and site stonework.

The Gould Evans project team has met with the Liberty Memorial Design Improvements Steering Committee each month to present their inventory, analysis and alternatives. The steering committee has prepared a recommended list of projects. This includes, but is not limited to: torch effect boiler operation; security improvements that include brush clearing, video surveillance upgrades with remote audio notifications, site lighting improvements; updates to the landscape irrigation; east side drainage improvements including stone wall repair along Main Street; building & site stone repairs including the Generals’ wall, the Memorial Tower and the Museum building; Memorial Tower structural repair and cleaning; and museum entry courtyard repairs.  Below, the entire campus.

“This is a project about stewardship,” said Strait, AIA, Gould Evans Principal.  “The Liberty Memorial is a local treasure with national significance.  The Parks Department and the LMA have done a great job of assembling a broad group of stakeholders with varied interests but a shared dedication to preservation of the memorial.” The plan is being reviewed by the LMA, the Parks Board, the City Council and the TIF Commission.  Once the plan is approved, the team will prepare construction documents for work to be implemented beginning next year.“The plan identifies the work that needs to be done immediately and over the next 10 years to preserve the site for generations to come,” said Whitman, ASLA, AICP, Gould Evans Associate Vice President.

Originally dedicated on Nov. 11, 1926, the restored museum and tower at Liberty Memorial were rededicated and reopened on May 25, 2002, followed by two more expansions that included a 230-seat auditorium, an education center beneath the memorial and a 30,000-square-foot museum expansion below the tower. Recognized by Congress as our country’s only WWI monument, the Liberty Memorial has the largest and most comprehensive collection of World War I artifacts, relics and archival materials in the world.

First PARK(ing) Day brings a bit of green to the cityscape

Create a park in a downtown city parking space, and they will come. And that’s exactly what happened last week at 11th and Grand when the Prairie Gateway chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects participated in its first ever PARK(ing) Day. Above, Carolyn Ralls with Landscape Forms, Rick Howell with Howell Landscape Architecture, and Stacy Ernst with Landscape Forms try out the bench in their new park.

PARK(ing) Day challenges people to rethink the way streets are used.  Creating a temporary park in an area surrounded by paving and hard surfaces calls to attention the need for visual and physical respites from the often inhospitable urban fabric, they said. “We’ve had a lot of people stop by and a lot of questions,” said Lindsay Chikes, a freelance landscape architect (below) with Korey Schulz, a landscape architect with Ochsner Hare & Hare.

This annual event was dreamed up by art & design studio ReBar in San Francisco in 2005.  Since then, groups all over the world have participated, including groups in Poland, South Africa, Norway, New Zealand, and South Korea.  Each installation has its own unique take on PARK(ing) Day. This one  featured plants, flowers, a bench and even lawn bowling. Below, Kwame Smith and Waylon Arndt try their skills. Smith won, 10-6. For more information, go to www.parkingday.org or www.pgasla.org.

A bird’s eye view of the custom kitchen from the second floor.

Robert Royer, owner of Building Traditions Inc. and the developer of Crescent Court, is a seasoned residential developer and luxury home-builder. His background includes extensive experience in architecture and commercial project management.  Over the past 18 years, Royer has worked exclusively in residential and mixed-use developments.  Contact him at royerrw@buildingtraditions.net, and contact the Costellos at 913-652-0400.

Stats reveal many details about Realtors

The 2010 National Association of Realtors “member profile” reveals some interesting facts about realtors in general. First, the average hours worked by all realtors nationwide is 40 per week, and the gross personal income by hours worked is $48,000 (median for 40-59 hours). Only 10  percent of realtors said they got more than 25 percent of their business by personal websites, and the real estate experience of all realtors was an average of 10 years. The gender gap is closer than you think: 43 percent of realtors are men, 57 percent are women. Formal education by realtors showed that 32 percent had some college and 29 percent had a bachelor’s degree. Eleven percent had a graduate degree and above. For all realtors in 2009, the typical brokerage specialist completed seven transaction sides or commercial deals; and the median tenure at present firms for all realtors was five years. And 81 percent say they operate as independent contractors in the business.

41 Penn delivers historic space in a modern place

Pam McKay and Suzanne Nelson Roberts (above) with Prudential want to tout their eight remaining units at 4141 Pennsylvania, just off the main buzz area of Westport. The units range from $220,000 to $400,000 and allow buyers to choose their own finishes. And they all have private balconies with views of the city. The developer was Michael Heitmann with Classical Developments. Roberts said the underground, secured parking is a big plus to the property, as well as the fact that it’s a new building and very quiet with sound isolated wall construction. For more information, call McKay at 816-365-2462 or Roberts at 913-406-1981.

Business retention, expansion remain a high priority for the Economic Development Council of Kansas City

By Katy Ryan

With a staff of approximately 35 people, the Economic Development Council of Kansas City has a workload that could easily satisfy twice that number of employees.

The private, not-for-profit company contracts with the city government to “provide services for several statutory agencies,” says Mike Kirchhoff, vice president of business retention and recruitment. These agencies include Port Authority, Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority, Downtown Economic Stimulus Authority and the Enhanced Enterprise Zone, among others.

As an overall organization, EDC works to achieve five priorities: retain and grow existing businesses in Kansas City, Mo.; support development of disadvantaged and opportunity areas; promote workforce development and job growth opportunities for Kansas City, Mo., residents; promote entrepreneurship in order to support new business formation and growth opportunities for existing businesses; and recruit new business investment to the city, according to EDC.

For Kirchhoff and his team, which focuses on retention and recruitment, that means in-person visits to area companies. Throughout the discussion, the employer or company owner answers a number of questions, and the answers are then plugged into a piece of software. The database then generates information on a macro level, including “a picture of trends and issues within the city,” Kirchhoff says, as well as on a micro level, which helps the EDC team identify red flags and potential concerns.

“This data allows us to target services to the needs of companies,” Kirchhoff says. “For instance, a threat may be identified through this service and we wouldn’t have learned about it unless we made a call to that company. We can focus our resources and address a specific retention concern.”

It’s surprising to some that EDC puts business retention and growth at a much higher priority level that new business attraction, but Kirchhoff says it’s a move that makes sense from an economic development perspective.

“Existing businesses have already made the decision to invest their money in Kansas City, Mo., so you don’t have to convince them to relocate here,” he says. “In economic development, we say that bringing in a new company has a multiplier effect. One job added to a community isn’t just that one job, it includes every job that’s touched by that money circulating through the economy. A loss ripples through the economy in a negative way, like if you have a company that decides to leave Kansas City for Atlanta.”

Kirchhoff says retaining or expanding an existing business is also cheaper because working to attract new companies requires a large marketing budget, and the success rate associated with relocation is much lower than that associated with retaining or expanding a company.

“It makes logical sense to focus on growing your own entrepreneurship—all you have to do is look around and see the results,” he says. “Hallmark, H&R Block, Stower’s—you see so many instances in Kansas City where entrepreneurs have started small companies that have grown into the pillars of today’s community. We don’t know which of our small businesses will turn into that next big thing, but some will.”

As the country continues to rebound from a troubled economy, EDC has worked through several economic obstacles to continue fulfilling its priorities. Just before the residential real estate crash, Kirchhoff estimated EDC had 80 projects in its pipeline, a number that plummeted by roughly 50 percent just one year ago. Today, the organization’s project list has rebounded to 65, a number that, when combined with the existing development activity, tells a compelling story about the state of Kansas City’s commercial sector.

“Just the other day we toured downtown with board members of a local company, and I think even they were surprised to see how many projects are going on,” Kirchhoff says. “You have a number of buildings that are being redeveloped for downtown housing, the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and the potential for a new GSA facility to be located somewhere in the greater downtown area.”

Kirchhoff also cites Honeywell and several new business parks as recent successes. Within EDC’s portfolio, the organization announced last week that Alternative Risk Services, which had been acquired by Cowell Insurance Group, will be moving into a new facility near KCI to accommodate the unification of the two companies. Kirchhoff says the deal will result in 16 new jobs for the area.

Projects are grouped by fiscal year, and looking back, Kirchhoff says EDC has announced seven projects since May, three of which are attraction and the rest retention or expansion. In all, the projects represent nearly $19 million in investment, 160 jobs created and a retention of about 376 jobs.

Images courtesy of the EDC

The downtown Marriott hotel ballroom was packed last night for what traditionally has been the premier commercial real estate event in Kansas City for many years : SIOR Development Day. Dozens of booths lined the aisles while chefs served up tenderloin sandwiches and guests mingled and drank. Above, Scott Cordes with Block Real Estate Services and Matthew Severns with Kessinger-Hunter enjoyed some networking.

LANE4 was well represented at the trade show. Above, Austin Baier, Brandon Buckley, Marta Chasteen and Carol Smith.

Brent Peterson and Jason Kraft relax at their Harbinger Property Group booth.  Maybe they were saving up their energy for the CCIM after-party at ReVerse.

Jay Ferguson of Ferguson Properties and Andy Gatchell with CB Richard Ellis joined co-workers for the evening.

Integra Realty Resources staff was looking dapper at the show. Above, Kyle Pramann, Mark Halter and Jim Gilbertson.

You couldn’t miss the bright blue booth of Block Real Estate Services where Lindsay Umstattd and Gene Elsas (above) were holding down the fort.

Building turns on its colors to support the KC Chiefs

Go Chiefs! As an example of the Chief’s spirit that has swept KC after the Chiefs soggy victory over San Diego in their home opener,  Colony Realty Partners, the Boston-based owners of the 15-story 7101 Tower building in Overland Park, wanted to show their local support for the team in a big way. To celebrate the start of the 2010 Kansas City Chiefs football season, the Block Real Estate Services, LLC staff who leases and manages the building, designed and installed this tribute. Let’s hope it’s up the entire season, and post season too!

Local architects today will create a park in a parking space

Local landscape architects, members of the Prairie Gateway chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects, are participating in the first ever PARK(ing) Day  from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. today. Stop by anytime and watch them transform the area around a metered parking space at 11^th and Grand in downtown. Their park (see rendering above) will include benches, colorful flowers, small trees, and even lawn bowling.  Everyone is invited to come enjoy this temporary installation aimed at promoting awareness of open space in urban environments!  What is PARK(ing) Day? It challenges people to rethink the way streets are used.  Creating a temporary park in an area surrounded by paving and hard surfaces calls to attention the need for visual and physical respites from the often inhospitable urban fabric.  Transforming a parking space also signifies a need to move away from vehicular-focused transit toward more “green” modes, including designing streets to favor bicycle and pedestrian traffic. The winning concept for the PARK(ing) Day installation was submitted by Erica Young, a landscape architect at HNTB.  Her design re-imagines the metered parking space as a grassy oasis from the city streets, replete with seating and a lawn bowling green to test your skill.

Pulaski Bank Home Lending held a Brewfest on Tuesday evening at Boulevard Brewery. The 39 loan officers and staff at the College Boulevard office organized the party and invited more than 350 real estate agents and guests (above) who were bused from the office to the Crossroads. More than $5,000 in prizes were awarded at the party, which has become an annual event for Pulaski. Below, Fran Cashion (right) joins Lee Ann and Ron Yartz, all with Prudential.

Below, Prudential agents Andrea Dundas and Lee Ann Yartz were the big winners.

Lake Quivira still an affordable and  popular golf and lake community

Lake Quivira continues to be a popular destination, with homes in a variety of price ranges, said real estate agent Babs Stilley with Reece & Nichols. The private community (see gated entrance below) of well-guarded homes has its own country club, 18-hole golf course and lake, plus a variety of organized social activities. The 200-acre, spring-fed lake (above) is perfect for fishing, sailing, boating and swimming. Currently, there are 24 listings in the community just east of I-435 and Holliday Drive, ranging from gorgeous estates on the lake with acreage that are priced around $1 million, down to cozy ranches in the mid-300s.

Below, Babs Stilley and Mary Ann White show off their listing in Lake Quivira that sits near the water. This ASID award winning contemporary home lists for $725,000 and boasts four bedrooms and four baths.

The entrance to Lake Quivira is at I-435 and Holliday Drive. The majority of the area is considered Johnson County territory, but the Wyandotte County line runs though one end of the lake, which includes 17 homes. Below, the stairway at Stilley’s listing offers vast views of the lake.

Another view from the docks.

Stats: Pending home sales take small step upward

Following a sharp drop in the months immediately after the home buyer tax credit expired, pending home sales have modestly risen, according to the National Association of Realtors in its September report. The Pending Home Sales Index rose 5.2 percent to 79.4 based on contracts signed in July from a downwardly revised 75.5 in June, but remains 19.1 percent below July 2009 when it was 98.1. The data reflects contracts and not closings, which normally occur with a lag time of one or two months. The NAR cautioned that there would be a long recovery process. “Home sales will remain soft in the months ahead, but improved affordability conditions should help with a recovery,” the chief economist Lawrence Yun said. “But the recovery looks to be a long process. Home buyers over the past year got a great deal, and buyers for the balance of this year have an edge over sellers. For those who bought at or near the peak several years ago, particularly in markets experiencing big bubbles, it may take over a decade to fully recover lost equity.” He added that “affordability could reach a generational high in the second half of this year because of rock-bottom mortgage interest rates, helped partly by the Fed’s very accommodative monetary policy. The loan underwriting standards are tighter, but home buyers can improve their chances of getting a loan by staying well within their budget.”

CenterPoint Zimmer LLC manages the development of the $687 million project, which broke ground last week

Daniel Musser, Zimmer Real Estate Services

The National Nuclear Security Administration Campus carries a hefty price tag. The new campus, which will house the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Kansas City manufacturing operations, is valued at $687 million. Even more impressive, however, is the ongoing economic value the project provides not just to the development team, but to Kansas City and the entire governmental industry.

“It is a significant project for our firms in these economic times, one of the biggest in the country and the second largest design/build/lease project in the GSA nationally,” says Daniel Musser, senior vice president and principal and director of development management for Zimmer Real Estate Services, L.C. “It means 1,500 construction jobs, 125 AE jobs, a $60 million MWBE program and ultimately retaining 2,100 jobs in Kansas City.”

Construction began last week with a groundbreaking at the northeast corner of Missouri 150 and Botts Road, eight miles south of the NNSA’s current location within the Bannister Federal Complex. According to a press release published by the NNSA, the campus “will house about 2,500 workers in 1,509,950-rentable-square-feet of space.”

CenterPoint Zimmer LLC is the managing developer of the project, a joint venture created by members of CenterPoint Properties and Zimmer Real Estate Services. Jim Cross, Melissa Roman and Lance Skala join the team from CenterPoint Properties, while Daniel Musser, Mike Gillaspie and Kirk Sherman represent Zimmer Real Estate Services.

Mike Gillaspie, Zimmer Real Estate Services

“CenterPoint Zimmer LLC is a special-purpose entity for the project only,” Musser says. Yet he doesn’t rule out the opportunity for future collaborations “in both the public and private sectors. This is a public-private partnership and this type of project will be the market for the next few years.”

Managing the development of such an expensive, sizable project seems a daunting task, and Musser agrees there are several key issues that are addressed in an ongoing basis, including “managing the design and construction of over 20 separate packages on a complex $400 million construction project, overlaying the necessary government approvals and cost control with City approvals and MWBE participation goals,” which Musser says “makes for a challenging 35-month schedule.”

The project is scheduled to be substantially completed in November 2012, with the fifth and final building to be finished in May 2013. Although ideal weather is in short supply as autumn approaches, Musser says work can continue through the colder months.

“The goal is to get as much foundation and slab work done before winter, which will allow steel erection to start,” he says. “JE Dunn will pour concrete through the winter.”

Kirk Sherman, Zimmer Real Estate Services

Kansas City-based JE Dunn is one of several “preselected subcontractors,” a process Musser says is necessary to “provide design assist and pricing to ensure things can be built on time and on budget.” Other contractors, according to the NNSA press release, include HNTB Architects, Toledo-based SSOE, Oak Ridge, Tenn.-based Pro2Serve and Johnson Controls of Lenexa.

Aside from being a newly constructed, state-of-the-art facility, the new NNSA campus is expected to receive a gold-level rating in the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED program, signifying the building’s sustainable development concepts. In the NNSA press release, NNSA Administrator Tom D’Agostino called the new campus “a significant step in transforming an outdated, Cold War-era nuclear weapons complex into a 21^st century nuclear security enterprise that is positioned to achieve the vision articulated in the recently released Nuclear Posture Review. This new Kansas City facility, which we expect will save the government $100 million a year, is also an important example of our commitment to being a good steward of the taxpayers’ money and a good partner with our neighbors in south Kansas City.”

If you’re thinking about going to the Westport Art Fair this weekend, stop by the Westport office of Gould Evans at 4041 Mill St. on Friday night for a special treat: an opening reception for an exhibition by Scott George Beattie (above in his downtown workshop) titled “Reading the Grain” that will be on display at the Corridor Art Space through Nov. 2. The reception is from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. tonight and includes Beattie’s collection of custom, handmade furniture (see pictures below) using solid woods with accompanying photographs of the building process and previous work.

Beattie said, “At the workbench, I’m a 21^st century traditionalist, employing tools that have been used by woodworkers for centuries, as well as modern machines when appropriate. I compose a piece of furniture carefully using the wood grain to speak to its overall shape. I select the most interesting parts of a board and assemble them to flow through the composition to give the final design a feeling of repose. It’s a true collaboration with nature.”   Below, a hand-crafted table. To view other work, come by the exhibit or go to www.scottgeorgebeattie.com.

New hotel draws Jayhawks back home again

So you want to catch a football game in style?  KU fans, especially alumni, are flocking to the new Oread hotel that sits at the north entrance to the KU campus. (Remember the old Planet Sub location?) And why not? For about $119 and up (the Terrace Suite is $249), you can spend the night at the fanciest thing to hit KU since the Allen Fieldhouse renovations, and you can just walk on down to the football stadium. The native limestone building was constructed with the campus in mind: its traditional architecture fits in with the other buildings, even though it seems to dwarf many with its 11, above-ground floors. The Oread boasts banquet rooms (lots of Jayhawk weddings), outdoor terrace bars, a theater, and flat screen televisions in the guestrooms. Sure beats the old dorm!

CREW members and guests hit the links for a good cause

CREW, or Commercial Real Estate Women, held its seventh annual Charity Golf Tournament recently at Loch Lloyd Country Club to benefit Women’s Employment Network. CREW members and guests hit the links during the day and then headed inside for the “Jazz, Blues and Diamonds” party that included a Cajun buffet, awards ceremony, door prizes and contests. Terracon was the “Eagle” sponsor: Above, Ron O’Kane of Leigh & O’Kane, Ken Dvorak,  Steve Nelson and Kirk Sherman, all with Terracon.

The Birdie Sponsor, Schifman Remley Associates, had a team (above) that included Joe Orscheln, CB Richard Ellis, Clay Remley, Clint Kuehler, and Stephen Bowen, all with Schifman Remley Associates.

The Drink Cart Sponsor team of Lewis Rice & Fingersh, LC, included Jeff Forgey (above), Mission Bank, and John Cruz, Kris Dekker and Michele McCue, all of Lewis, Rice & Fingersh.

Below, Julie Headley with Thellman Financial, co-chair of the Golf Committee and Treasurer of KC CREW, congratulated Jeff Ganaden, Vice President of US Bank – winner of the Tivoli earrings in the Great Diamond Heist raffle event.