Oggi Lofts redevelopment brings 25 market rate units to downtown KC

The former Oggi Modern Furnishings building at 600 Central St. in downtown Kansas City’s former Garment District has found new life as Oggi Lofts, a 25-unit market-rate apartment project.

Ted Murray of Colliers International teamed up with Andy Homoly of Homoly Construction on the $6.7 million redevelopment designed by architecture firm Clockwork Architecture + Design. Rosin Preservation helped secure historic tax credits for conversion of the 110-year old, five-story brick building located on the National Register of Historic Places.

As with any historic redevelopment, Oggi Lofts offered its share of surprises and conundrums.

“Anytime you get into an older building that needs to be gutted, there are always surprises,” said Murray, who pursued the project independent of his role as Co-CEO of Colliers’ Kansas City office. “This project was so different and really created a need for problem solving during the construction process.”

For example, the building’s entire stair tower required full replacement, yet historic preservation standards required that the original hardwood flooring remain. Another hurdle involved successfully obtaining approval from the National Park Service to add windows on the north side of the brick building. But perhaps the biggest challenge involved designing and constructing units around the building’s many columns, which could not be touched in the name of structural integrity.

“We had to conserve space, and Andy (Homoly) and the construction team really thought through how to integrate all the vertical columns into the various units,” Murray told MetroWire Media during a tour of the project.

A hallmark of Oggi Lofts is a rooftop deck with panoramic views of the Missouri River, and Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport. The property includes a basement fitness center and dedicated storage units as well as on-street parking and door locks and utilities with smartphone access. With rents between $1,000 to $2,265, each unit includes hardwood flooring, onyx countertops, and washer/dryer.

For Murray, the historic redevelopment was a refreshing departure from his work with Colliers, which involves primarily office, retail and industrial leasing and sales.

“This has been so much fun,” Murray said. “I love downtown and I’m just thrilled with how this turned out. It’s been a labor of love.”

Oggi Modern Furnishings vacated the property in 2007. Tax abatements were approved through Kansas City’s Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority (LCRA).

Launch Development prepares for liftoff of new mixed-use at former Loehmann's site

Construction is wrapping up on the first phase of The Promontory, a $98 million, 291-unit residential-over-retail redevelopment at 91st and Metcalf in Overland Park. Launch Development Inc., in partnership with Jim Harpool and Evergreen Real Estate Services, plans a grand opening this spring.

“One of the big differences between this and any other project we have is that all the residential parking is separate from the retail parking,” Harpool said. “The units are wrapped around three sides of the parking garage, and you can park on the level that you live. So you just walk in and you’re home.”

All the Promontory’s one- and two-bedroom units include high-end finishes, 12-foot ceilings, balconies, and walk-in showers. Common spaces include a clubhouse with demonstration kitchen/bar, multiple flat-screen TVs, ample gathering space, and workstations.

Outdoor living spaces include a swimming pool/deck area and courtyard/green gathering area connected by a breezeway, or “cave,” that can be closed off depending on the weather. The breezeway features a big-screen TV, bar and fireplace. The indoor mezzanine area is home to a yoga studio and fitness center with treadmills overlooking the pool deck.

Harpool, a longtime proponent of Metcalf Avenue redevelopment efforts to the north and south of 95th Street, said the Loehmann’s project was not without challenges. Overland Park stormwater retention requirements added $1.3 million to site prep costs.

“We had to create a 12- to 14-foot high detention basin beneath the parking lot. You can park 17 semis under there,” he added.

The Promontory is part of multifamily redevelopment boomlet taking place between 95th and 80th streets along Metcalf Avenue. The residential projects aim to piggyback off about 1 million square feet of new or redeveloped office space taking shape in the corridor.

“You’re going to have between 800 and 900 units close to Downtown Overland Park opening in 2019,” Harpool said. “Between Tim Barton’s office building, Avenue 82 anchored by BRR Architecture, and Shamrock Industries across the street planning to hire 1,000 people, we have a little hub here.”

KC Wine & Liquors opened a new store at The Promontory in December, and additional leased space is available for retail stores and restaurants. At full buildout, The Promontory will include a total of 490 retail units and more than 150,00 square feet of retail space.

For retail leasing at The Promontory, email Ryan Robertshaw at Ryan@KCEvergreen.com

View a promotional video of The Promontory.

Check out a gallery of The Promontory clubhouse and residences below.

Leawood mixed-use expected to kickstart activity along 135th Street corridor

Leawood leaders say a just-approved $135 million mixed-used project along 135th Street near State Line Road may be exactly what the city needs to energize development activity on the east end of the well-traveled corridor.

Lashbrook Cos. on Monday received city approval for its development south of 135th Street between Kenneth Road and Chadwick, which includes 117 high-end villas, 182 luxury apartments, and retail space. The project also includes plans for an 81-unit assisted living facility developed by Johnson County Management.

“I’ve said for a long time that this is a great corridor, but it just needs a kickstart. It needs something to happen to bring the momentum,” said Bob Regnier, president of Bank of Blue Valley and whose family owns the land. “Rick (Lashbrook) has great product and the timing is right.”

The development strays from 135th Street Corridor development guidelines adopted by the Leawood City Council in 2013, so securing approval required some give-and-take.

“This is a good compromise and allows for forward movement. Just since the announcement, I have received a couple phone calls from people interested in that area,” Regnier said. “A nice project like this is announced, and all the sudden people are talking about it. People see the possibility.”

In addition to filling strong demand for attached villa-type property in Leawood, the project will allow the City to connect 137th Street from Kenneth Road to Metcalf Avenue.

“That route, like 133rd on the north side of 135th, will become a major east-west connector for not only vehicles, but for pedestrian and bicycle traffic as well,” said Kevin Jeffries, president and CEO of the Leawood Chamber & Economic Development Council. “The office, retail, multifamily, and senior living components proposed for later phases will also be a welcome addition to the 135th Street Corridor.”

Construction on the unnamed project is set to begin in late 2019 with completion expected 2-3 years later.

Opus' mixed-use poised to trigger Westport Road redevelopment

The Opus Group's new six-story mixed-use apartment project at the corner of Westport Road and Broadway Boulevard is expected to serve as a catalyst for neighborhood redevelopment along Westport Road between Broadway and Main Street. 

Although it won't be completed until the spring of 2020, the 254-unit multifamily project with 10,000 square feet of ground-level retail already is attracting tenant interest.

"Westport hasn't seen a project of this size in 50 years. This redevelopment will revitalize the neighborhood," said Chris Kamberis, a Kansas City-based commercial developer who owns property adjacent to the multifamily project and is seeking tenants to add to the unique neighborhood feel and expansion.

With plans in the works to extend the Kansas City Streetcar to Westport, Kamberis added, the OPUS multifamily project is right on time.

"With the addition of OPUS' mixed-use apartment complex and new tenants, Westport will continue to be an attraction for both locals and city visitors," said Kamberis, owner and president of CTK Real Estate.

The Opus Group began construction of the mixed-use project this fall. Opus Development Company, LLC is the developer in partnership with CTK Real Estate; Opus Design Build, LLC is the design-builder; and Opus AE Group, LLC is the interior designer, architect and structural engineer of record. Financing for the project is provided by Central Bank of the Midwest.

Fogel-Anderson will manage Mission Gateway construction project, timetable

Fogel-Anderson Construction Co. has been named Construction Manager for the long-awaited Mission Gateway redevelopment project at Johnson Drive and Shawnee Mission Parkway, marking a departure from the typical General Contractor model.

“The complexities of Mission Gateway and our determination to use the best in class contractors led us to utilize a construction manager over a single prime general contractor,” said Tom Valenti of The Cameron Group, which is co-developing Mission Gateway with GFI Development Company. “We believe that Fogel-Anderson Construction, with their more than 100 years of experience in the Kansas City market, will enable us to deliver a development that residents of the area will be proud to live, work, play and stay in.”

Emery Sapp & Sons began site preparation in September, setting the stage for the first phase of construction that includes apartments, building pad sites and public road improvements. Future phases include a hotel, office building, 40,000-square foot food hall, and destination entertainment venue, all slated for delivery in 2021.

“Mission Gateway has a number of moving parts that are interrelated. Fogel-Anderson’s role as Construction Manager is to build and maintain the master budget, schedule, and plan the logistics of the entire development,” said Roger Summers, Fogel-Anderson vice president. “As construction ramps up on the separate buildings, our team will coordinate the activities of dozens of prime and subcontractors working on site.”

Neighbors Construction will serve as General Contractor for Mission Gateway’s first vertical construction, a multifamily-over-retail building adjacent to a parking garage. Located on the development’s north side along Shawnee Mission Parkway, the residential portion of the project is targeted for a spring 2020 completion.

Kansas City-based architecture design firm El Dorado, Inc. designed the overall master plan.