Zimmer adds property managers, takes on management and leasing for historic building
Mark Twain Tower
Zimmer Real Estate Services Property and Facilities management division added two seasoned property managers to its staff.
Dawña Garza-Calbi brings 15 years of commercial real estate experience to the position, and has extensive experience with managing large commercial offices.
“Garza-Calbi is driven to provide the highest level of service for both her clients and tenants, and exemplifies Zimmer’s ‘Whatever It Takes’ attitude toward property management,” according to Zimmer. “With experience in both leasing and management, she fully understands the processes that affect a tenant during the leasing process. This critical insight helps alleviate issues that often arise after occupancy.”
Garza-Calbi joined Zimmer when the company took over the management and leasing for Mark Twain Tower, a historic 204,095-square-foot office building in downtown Kansas City. She had previously served a dual role as leasing agent and property manager, and will continue those same responsibilities for Zimmer, allowing for a seamless transition for the building’s tenants.
“Retaining Garza-Calbi provides important continuity and stability for the tenants,” according to Zimmer. “The Mark Twain management team is complemented by new on-site building maintenance staff, supervision from Zimmer’s chief building engineer and a strong leasing team that specializes in downtown leasing.”
Additionally, Phil Staley brings seven years of experience in facilities and property management for both corporate owner/occupants and investors.
“He has a proven ability in resolving issues on behalf of tenants and clients by remaining hands-on and seeing issues through to satisfactory resolution for all parties,” according to Zimmer. “Staley’s resourceful problem-solving and effective communication skills make him another asset to the Zimmer team.”
Staley’s position includes responsibility for the daily operations of a multi-building portfolio of office, industrial, retail and residential properties. Staley will manage property maintenance, lease enforcement, tenant relations, rent collection, contract negotiations and administration, budget preparation and implementation.
Adding Garza-Calbi and Staley to the Zimmer team brings even more experience to an already knowledgeable group.
“The addition of Dawña and Phil continues to strengthen our team and provides an even greater depth of industry knowledge and service,” said Ellen Darling, executive vice president and chief operating officer. “They both have a strong grasp of real estate operations and the important role property management plays in maximizing the value of an asset, all while maintaining a high level of service for our clients.”
Sports retailer to relocate from Washington to Kansas City
Image via Zumiez
Zumiez Inc., a specialty retailer of action sports-related apparel, footwear, equipment and accessories, announced that the company will relocate its ecommerce fulfillment operations from the company’s headquarters in Everett, Wash., to the Kansas City area.
Zumiez will lease 153,000 square feet at 9911 Woodend Road just 15 minutes west of downtown Kansas City in Edwardsville, Kan. The relocation will create 100 new jobs for the area.
According to a company press release, Zumiez assessed several cities, including Chicago, Corona, Calif., Indianapolis and Louisville before selecting Kansas City. The company cited several factors, including the importance of increasing speed of productive deliveries to online customers as rationale for the move.
“As a company, we continually evaluate opportunities to increase the speed of delivering products to our customers while also improving our costs,” said Marc Stolzman, Zumiez Chief Financial Officer, in a release. “The move to Kansas means that, across the continental U.S., our customers should receive their Zumiez order in three days or less.”
Bob Marcusse. Image via KCADC
Several businesses and organizations helped bring Zumiez to the Kansas City area, including the Kansas City Area Development Council, KC SmartPort, Kessinger/Hunter & Co., LC, the Kansas Department of Commerce, the Wyandotte Economic Development Council, the City of Edwardsville and Westar Energy, Inc.
“We have seen a strong trend of these types of facilities locating in the Kansas City region, which is ideal for ecommerce distribution due to our central location and low transportation costs,” said Bob Marcusse, president of the Kansas City Area Development Council, in a release.
Expansion begins at The Roasterie
Image via The Roasterie
Local coffee brewer The Roasterie has started a $3.7 million expansion of company headquarters at 1204 W. 27th St. The project, which was announced in June 2011, will include a new café with covered outdoor seating, a trellis and garden area, as well as a gutted DC-3 airplane that will be stationed above the new café, complete with an illuminated runway.
The plan is an homage to The Roasterie’s logo, which includes a DC-3 plane as an homage to the company’s air-roasted process.