Creative Planning stays true to name, invests in Class A office space

Creative Planning, Inc., a $26 billion investment advisory firm headquartered in Overland Park, Ks., will soon break ground on Creative Campus III, the final segment of their Class A campus at 5400 W 110th Street.

The firm has selected JLL as their strategic leasing partner.

Creative Campus III will deliver 108,000 SF of new Class A office space at Creative Campus, increasing the development’s total footprint to 335,750 SF upon its completion.

“Creative Planning has laid out a unique office project in Creative Campus that meets the evolving demands of office tenants looking to grow or establish themselves in our region,” said Ryan Schneider, executive vice president at JLL.

Creative Campus III will offer ample natural light, floor to ceiling windows and efficient floor plates with the opportunity to interconnect stairs between each of the building’s four floors. An on-campus cafeteria, with rotating menu and fresh options daily, is located in Creative Campus I.

“Creative Campus III will provide a collaborative work environment that cultivates creativity and employee engagement that will help industry leading companies attract and retain top talent,” Schneider said.

The campus is easily accessible by Interstate 435 via the Nall interchange and surrounded by abundant retail and entertainment options.

In partnership with VanTrust Real Estate, Burns & McDonnell will design and build the state-of-the-art office campus.

JLL’s RJ Trowbridge is leading the leasing efforts for the project which will deliver in Q3 of 2021. All 108,000 SF is available for lease.

CoWork KCI to open soon in the Northland

EnCorps Partners, LLC. will soon open Cowork KCI, a 283,000 SF Class-A property located in the Platte County, MO., KCI corridor.

Co-working experts and EnCorps partners, Robert L. Curland and Terri S. Turner, who also helped launch iWerx North Kansas City and iWerx Gladstone, say CoWork KCI features traditional and co-working office options.

“Co-working and flex real estate solutions are reshaping the U.S. office market,” said Turner, who also serves as president of the Kansas City Coworking Alliance.

“We are excited to provide an innovative approach to office space designed to meet the needs of contractors who are rebuilding the airport terminal and growing the KCI corridor,” Turner said.

CoWork KCI plans to promote business growth in the KCI corridor and serve as a catalyst to local and visiting business professionals.

“Our vision is to provide a resource to contractors and vendors who need turnkey offices and collaboration spaces on a month-to-month basis as they build the airport,” Curland said.

The Kansas City AFL-CIO and Veterans Community Project have endorsed the CoWork KCI vision and project.

“As Kansas City continues to grow, we are experiencing a shortage of Class-A office space,”stated Edward Collins, founder of Collins Cook Realty and buyer of 12200 NW AmbassadorDrive, the property which houses CoWork KCI.

Whether members choose traditional or co-working office space, all are afforded access to dozens of amenities including community kitchens, free parking, marketing support and 24/7 secured access. Co-working space is offered on a month-to-month basis with no large upfront deposits or fees.

EnCorps Partners, LLC works with developers and city officials to create sustainable, flex office spaces tailored to community needs. Curland and Turner currently are offering a pre-opening special and can be reached at info@CoworkKCI.com.

Co-Office provider giant, Industrious, heads to Plaza

Industrious, the largest premium flexible workspace provider in the U.S., has signed on to take 30,000 SF on the Country Club Plaza (420 Nichols Road).

Known for its professional atmosphere and thoughtfully-designed spaces intended to increase productivity, Industrious highlights its focus on providing members with an elevated hospitality-driven workplace experience.  

“Kansas City is a dominant market in the Silicon Prairie. As one of the largest and fastest-growing tech hubs in North America, it made sense for Industrious to have a presence in the region,” said Justin Stewart, president and co-founder of Industrious. “Our existing relationships with Macerich and Taubman led us to Country Club Plaza, a highly-amenitized and desirable area that our members will love. We look forward to supporting the ongoing growth of companies across Kansas City.”

This is Industrious’s third location with Macerich, who currently owns 51 million SF of real estate consisting primarily in 47 regional shopping centers.

This is also Industrious’s second location with Taubman Centers, an S&P MidCap 400 Real Estate Investment Trust engaged in the ownership, management and/or leasing of regional, super-regional and outlet shopping centers in the U.S. and Asia.

“The addition of Industrious further solidifies our position as the market-dominant shopping center,” said Meredith Keeler, general manager at Country Club Plaza. “Our patient curation of new tenants for the Plaza continues to create excitement and expand our customer base.”

Across the country, Industrious members include large, well-known companies such as Pfizer, Hyatt, Airbus, Pandora, Lyft, Pinterest, and more. Industrious currently has over 80 locations across more than 40 U.S. cities. Industrious Country Club Plaza will offer co-working and private offices for teams of various sizes and is expected to be open for business Q3 2019.

A.L. Huber grows in scope and size

Coming off a record year in 2018, A.L. Huber is building on its longtime reputation for quality construction and positioning itself for growth in additional market niches such as healthcare, industrial, and information technology.

 “We are a 116-year old company and in a successful time of transition,” said A.L. Huber President Phil Thomas who assumed majority ownership of the company in 2015. “It’s been a great 3 ½ years. Along with my ownership, we have four additional owners as well. Our future is very exciting.”

 A.L. Huber’s revenue topped $83 million in 2018, up more than 70 percent from $48 million in 2017. Thomas says the growth is largely due to the firm’s strong preconstruction team, which has tripled over the past five years and has helped transform A.L. Huber’s business model.

“A lot of times, people think because we are doing preconstruction work that our pipeline is two years out, but we actually can build 6-8 months down the road,” Thomas said. “We collaborate closely with owner and design team and move projects through the design phase quickly. We know that if we can get the budget and schedule to the owner early, that means we don’t have hiccups when submitting for permits and don’t end up over-budget.”

In the technology market, A.L. Huber recently completed Fishtech Group’s new Cyber Security Operations Center in Martin City as well as Sprint’s new 5G Experience project. The firm reinforced its industrial division in 2018, completing a 315,000-square foot manufacturing facility for Aspen Products in Kansas City and a 255,000-square foot distribution center for TVH in Olathe. On the healthcare front, A.L. Huber is expanding geographically – currently completing construction of a hospital addition in Fall Rivers, S.D..

A.L. Huber’s founding family, the Huber’s, remain partners and very active in the storied construction firm, with Augie Huber serving as CEO. Thomas and Senior Vice President Keith Dorrian guide the firm’s day-to-day operations.

“One of the unique things about our story is that my only job has been at A.L. Huber, and Keith’s only job as been at A.L. Huber. I started here 35 years ago and Keith 23 years ago, so try to drive best practices from everyone we meet—including our peers,” Thomas explained.

With more than 100 years as a family-run business, A.L. Huber prides itself on low turnover. Once they start, employees typically stay with the firm for the remainder of their career.

“It’s still a family culture here, and we truly work hard at finding the best people and then we work hard at keeping them together.”

CBKC's Blue Parkway building hits full occupancy

Mid-America Assistance Coalition (MAAC) has leased 3,000 square feet at 4001 Blue Parkway, bringing the 69,000-square foot office building developed by Community Builders of Kansas City (CBKC) to 100 percent occupancy.

“With average occupancy for commercial real estate in Kansas City at 91 percent in the fourth quarter of 2018, we are especially excited to announce full occupancy at one of our flagship developments,” said Art Chaudry, president and CEO of CBKC, KC’s largest urban core developer.

Built in 2003 with a $10.5 million investment by CBKC, the building was one of the developer’s first projects in the Blue Parkway corridor as part of its nationally recognized Mt. Cleveland Initiative. In partnership with Ross Simpson of Colliers International, CBKC has continued to transform the space into a community service hub, with tenants including Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City, Catholic Charities Kansas City-St. Joseph, Junior Achievement of Kansas City, and Legal Aid of Western Missouri. 

“Since the opening of this building, CBKC has carefully curated a group of like-minded organizations who are dedicated to serving the urban core, and Mid-America Assistance Coalition perfectly complements and completes the offering here,” Chaudry added.

MAAC offers information systems, training and advocacy to residents and social services providers.

“We're excited to join the tenants in the 4001 Blue Parkway space and look forward to serving Jackson, Clay and Platte County with our programs including our newly added Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP),” said John Rich, executive director of MAAC.

CBKC has developed more than $225 million in urban renewal projects in Kansas City since its founding in 1991. It currently operates more than 700 units of rental housing and 200,000 square feet of commercial real estate. 

For more information, visit http://www.cb-kc.org/.