BUILT Interior Construction goes wall-to-wall with custom building solution

BUILT opened its Kansas City office in 2015, determined that the construction industry was ready to embrace a sustainable, tech-friendly, pre-manufactured building solution that would save time and money for the end user.

As the company celebrates its third birthday this month, it's clear that the vision of partners Dave Anderson, Mark Brandmeyer and Russ Branden is paying off. High-profile clients in the health care, education, and corporate space are lining up to incorporate the company's flexible building solution into their projects.

"It's a totally new and different way to build interiors," said BUILT Partner Dave Anderson. "Conventional construction can't do these fit and finishes, and we are able to bring down overall project costs with our speed to market."

Recent projects include Kansas City Orthopaedic Institute's expansion, several BCBS SpiraCare clinics, and new headquarters for Mariner Holdings and Mediware Information Systems.

Using the DIRTT-branded prefabricated solution, BUILT creates customizable, floor-to-ceiling sliding glass panels that allow for easy access to IT, plumbing and electrical infrastructure within the walls. 

"We like to say, we don't make walls; we liberate the space between them," said Andre' Davis, business development manager for BUILT. "We serve as a strategic partner to anyone interested in building better, using technology and clean construction methods to future-proof their space."

Panels arrive ready to install and bypass the need for paint or wallpaper, which allows for a quicker buildout and cleaner construction sites. It's a solution that health care providers finding particularly attractive because components arrive UL-tested and construction is minimally disruptive to busy medical facilities and offices. 

One more perk: the pre-manufactured solution reduces concerns about available construction workers.

"We believe we add value to any General Contractor out there trying to win projects, especially because labor is so tight," Davis added. "We just need three weeks of lead time, and we can be on-site by the fourth week."

Find out more about BUILT Interior Construction online at Builtinterior.com.

Summit Square ribbon cutting celebrates record leasing activity

NorthPoint Development and project partners officially cut the ribbon Thursday at Summit Square, a 308-unit luxury apartment complex located within Lee’s Summit’s thriving Summit Tech corridor.

Summit Square includes seven buildings and a clubhouse with outdoor amenities such as outdoor terrace with salt water pool, custom grilling station and covered veranda with a gas fireplace. Indoor clubhouse amenities include a lounge, kitchen/gathering space, fitness center and spinning studio, salon, massage room, media room and conference room.

Neighbors Construction served as general contractor for Summit Square, its 14th project for NorthPoint. NSPJ Architects provided design and architecture services.

"NorthPoint and NSPJ have once again outdone themselves with the design of this property and it shows by the record-breaking lease-up we have witnessed. It's truly amazing,” said Aaron Neighbors of Neighbors Construction.

Summit Square is on track to be the fastest lease-up of any project Neighbors Construction has built for NorthPoint, with five of the seven delivered buildings 90 percent leased. 

“Our residents are raving about the quality of the product, spectacular amenities, the outstanding management team and this amazing location,” Community Manager Pam Lakey said. “In my 27+ years on site in the Kansas City apartment rental market, I have never been a part of something this special.”

You can check out photos of the project’s progression since construction began in December 2016 here by heading to the project page on Neighbors' website. More information at www.summitsquarekc.com.

Patience, perseverance paves path for Prairie Village fire station project

A long-awaited, new 15,000-square foot fire station in Prairie Village is on target for a spring delivery, with HarenLaughlin Construction wrapping up metal stud framing and interior masonry work this month. Up next: pouring the station's mezzanine and installing its exterior brick veneer.

But the biggest challenge of the $6 million project took place in the site selection and pre-construction phase, which began in 2012. Finding "available dirt" took several years, and then once a workable site behind Mission Road Bible Church  at 78th and Mission Road was identified, all parties had to work together to ensure traffic flow to the church.

"This is a unique location, and it's been a large, arduous task to get it approved," said Cory Davison, HarenLaughlin project manager. "There's been lots of coordination with the church and a juggling act to make sure they have parking on Sundays and can keep their facility open during construction."

The new station will include three bays and the ability to house nine firefighters at a time. It also offers Consolidated Fire District No. 2 a more central location in the heart of Prairie Village, allowing for quicker emergency response times, according to Fire Chief Tony Lopez. 

"There's been some real head rubbing on this project and sometimes we didn't think we would ever strike a deal. It's been a long process, with a lot of starts and stops," Lopez said. "But now things are really moving along nicely."

The station was designed by Archimages, Inc., with Newmark Grubb Zimmer representing the owner and providing brokerage services in the transaction.

KCP&L program lights up MC Realty's energy efficiency effort

With more than 3.5 million square feet of commercial property in downtown Kansas City, MC Realty Group is well-known for its success in revitalizing dozens of abandoned and obsolete buildings. But in recent years, the parent company of DST Realty Inc. and Financial Holding Corp. has quietly made energy efficiency a priority within its portfolio of historic, renovated properties.

“We were looking for ways to make our properties safer, more comfortable, and more energy efficient for our tenants,” MC Realty Vice President of Operations Tom Corso said. “We realized that one of the few costs we can control is energy.”

MC Realty has worked closely with KCP&L to identify, prioritize and complete 31 energy efficiency projects in recent years, taking advantage of the utility’s substantial rebate program. By improving HVAC and cooling towers and adding energy saving features like LED lighting to parking garages and elevators, the upgrades have earned MC Realty almost $2 million in rebates from KCP&L and saved its properties an estimated 4.2 million kWh a year.

In addition to cutting energy costs, MC Realty has saved money on maintenance and replacement expenses because LED lighting lasts longer than old lamp or ballast lighting.

“I’d highly recommend KCP&L’s rebate program to other property management firms,” Corso said. “It’s very simple, and they’re easy to work with. Projects that didn’t make sense beforehand make sense after the rebate.”

For more information about the rebate program, visit kcpl.com/mybusiness. 

Kelly Construction Group expands reach, builds new headquarters

The Great Recession may have dried up projects and forced many general contractors out of business, but it also created an opportunity for Scott Kelly, Jason Betts and Travis Lourens. The trio worked together before the downturn and were determined to leverage their respective expertise and positive relationships into a new, diverse construction company.

“Things started slowing down and the economy slowed to the point that you had to recreate your business a bit and make sure you were staying in relationship with your clients,” said Scott Kelly, president of Kelly Construction Group, Inc. “So we started talking about how we could take our existing customer base, maintain those relationships and work through a difficult time with the expectation it was going to pick back up.”

The former colleagues launched Kelly Construction Group in 2011, blending Scott’s healthcare expertise with Travis’ municipal and government experience and Jason’s book of business that included developers, retailers and hospitality groups. That decision has paid off, with 2 million square feet currently under construction and the company on target to reach its most recent five-year master plan goals in half the time.

“Establishing and maintaining and nurturing relationships, that’s the key. We’re not going to be everything to everyone, but our company is the right size for a lot of projects—not too small but not too big,” Lourens said. “We are schedule driven and we expect people who work for us to be part of our team and be committed to the same goals.”

Kelly Construction has landed projects for top companies such as Cerner, KCP&L, Merck and UMB, as well as just about every metro-area hospital group including Saint Luke’s Health System, KU Medical Center, Shawnee Mission Medical Center, Children’s Mercy Hospital, and HCA.

In the past two years, Kelly Construction has almost doubled its headcount to 36, prompting it to build a new 20,000-square foot corporate office in Grandview’s SouthPointe Business Park. Recent projects include the conversion of 650,000 square feet of office space for Cerner in South Kansas City, more than 250,000-square feet of tenant improvements for Lee’s Summit’s Summit Technology Campus, and a new parking garage for Shawnee Mission Medical Center, as well as the upscale The Monarch Bar on the Country Club Plaza.

“The Monarch was the first notable project for this type of venue in many years that wasn’t a chain. It’s more of a boutique, standalone space with high-end finishes,” Betts said. “The architect (David Manica) had a vision and he felt we understood that vision.”

Maintaining client relationships has been key to Kelly’s success. With the construction market sizzling, the company remembers the lessons of the past and is focused on smart, controlled growth.

“One of the biggest things we talk about is making sure we meet or exceed expectations on any project. That’s our focus,” Kelly said. “We don’t aspire to be the biggest firm. We want to be known for doing what we say we’re going to do and where we can still feel like one of the three of us has given personal attention to every project we build.”

Above: Kelly Construction Group principals include Travis Lourens, Jason Betts and Scott Kelly.