Cloverleaf Office Park upgrades as employees return to offices

In Northeast Johnson County, owners of the 50-acre Cloverleaf Office Park have completed a number of timely upgrades to ease apprehension as employees return to company offices.

Cloverleaf’s renovations include virus-killing HVAC technology, enhanced outdoor work and event space, solar-panel powered amenities and elevated security. The office park, which spans ten buildings and 400,000 SF, is located at the southeast corner of Shawnee Mission Parkway and Metcalf.

“We have created a desirable, convenient and healthy work environment where office users will feel comfortable coming to work every day, and our tenants couldn’t be more excited,” said Ned O’Connor, founder of Waterford Property Company and leasing agent and asset manager of Cloverleaf. “In addition to improving air quality within the buildings, we’ve created a unique outdoor setting by leveraging our position as one of the few large office parks in Johnson County with significant greenspace.”

After planting 235 new trees, 2,250 plants and shrubs, and 3,000 tulips, the office park has nearly finished restoring the greenspace to its original appearance 19 years ago.

For many workers, rising vaccination rates and falling mask mandates have encouraged a slow return to office space, but safety concerns remain as the pandemic continues. Cloverleaf has addressed these viable concerns about health and safety by providing flexible workspace and amenities.

For companies seeking short-term collaboration or specific project work, flexible meeting spaces for non-tenants is also available to the community by reservation.

Tenants returning to work or moving into Cloverleaf will enjoy the following enhancements:

• HVAC ultraviolet lighting – Hospitals, data centers and other critical infrastructure have used UV light at air intakes for years to kill the viruses, bacteria and molds that commonly accumulate in HVAC equipment. UVC, the UV light spectrum Cloverleaf uses, provides the maximum germicidal effect across all buildings.

• Solar panel tables – Solar canopies convert sunlight to power and store it in benches at five outdoor workspaces, which are accessible to all tenants. Free wi-fi is available throughout Cloverleaf.

• Founder’s Park – Founder’s Park is a central plaza perfect for events and team building. It is outfitted with two gas grills, café-style tables and chairs, table tennis, a bag-toss game area, and a fire pit surrounded by Adirondack chairs and an Ipe wood bench.

• Security – Cloverleaf has installed 24-hour, motion-activated, surveillance security cameras across the park and has upgraded building access systems.

• Socially distanced meeting space – The park now has two conference rooms available to all tenants at no cost. One has the capacity for 30 people, the other for 50.

O’Connor also noted that providing a clean, secure and amenity-rich work environment had become a critical differentiator in the office market as companies reassess or reorganize their space needs.

“The demands of the modern workforce are changing constantly,” he said, “and Cloverleaf will always be committed to staying ahead of those demands.”

Matt Condon, the founder and CEO of Bardavon Health Innovations and a Cloverleaf tenant for 15 years, says that the value of officing with Cloverleaf extends far beyond amenities.

“Cloverleaf has been a true partner to us as we’ve grown through the years and required more or different space; it hasn’t been your typical landlord-tenant negotiation,” Condon said. “It’s been ideal to not only have great space with a lot of amenities, but also a landlord that will partner with you to prioritize flexibility and optionality.

“Coming out of COVID, Cloverleaf has also been very forward-thinking about health and safety accommodations as we gear up to return to the office,” Condon added. “It’s very important to me as a CEO that I can communicate that with my team so they know their landlord is looking out for their health.”

To learn more Cloverleaf and its upgrades, to reserve a collaborative meeting space or to schedule a tour, you may call Ned O’Connor at (913)-789-9000 or visit cloverleafofficepark.com.

Biopharma tenant completes occupancy at Summit Technology Campus

CBRE and US Asset Services have secured the last remaining office lease in the Summit Technology Campus building at 800 Chipman Road in Lee’s Summit, Mo.

Viracor Eurofins, a clinical diagnostic and biopharma company, plans to utilize the 17,129-SF space as an expansion of their clinical research and development lab-testing facility. The lease brings the 500,000-SF building to full occupancy.

Travis Gage, senior associate at CBRE, and Michael Lanning, senior managing principal at US Asset Services, are the exclusive marketing agents working on behalf of the property’s owner, KC Summit Technology LLC.

“Office leasing activity during the third quarter of 2020 was dominated by renewal activity in the Kansas City market. Tenants are drawn to the property’s proximity to main thoroughfares, private entrances, large efficient floor plates, on-site management as well as security and signage opportunities,” said Gage.

Other leases and existing tenancies that contributed to the building's full occupancy include Bluebird Communications, CVS/Caremark, Quest Diagnostics, St. Luke’s and GSA, who executed a 20-year lease extension of 316,318 SF of office space in the building - the largest office lease completed in the Kansas City market in 2020. The GSA office houses the U.S. government agency of citizenship and immigration services.

The 500,000-SF campus provides ample parking with immediate highway access to I-470 and Hwy 50. The property is conveniently located near Summit Fair and Summit Woods retail centers and over 60 restaurants.

Thrasher to build new HQ at Southlake Office Park

Construction has begun on a new KC office headquarters for Thrasher Foundation Repair, a midwest foundation repair company, at Southlake Office Park in Lenexa, Kan.

The five-acre site, acquired from developer City+Ventures, is located near I-35 and Renner Blvd. and will serve as Thrasher’s new, 25,000-SF Kansas City headquarters, providing both office and warehouse space.

“Southlake Office Park continues to see significant momentum and interest from a variety of users,” said Chris Erickson, co-founder of City+Ventures.

“The demand for quality space in a prime location such as this is driving market activity for the region. We enthusiastically welcome Thrasher and are excited for the future of Southlake.”

JLL, who represents City+Ventures at Southlake, plans for investing in new building amenities, providing Class-A common areas and tenant finishes and developing the interior land sites with complimentary uses for the existing office tenants.

Southlake has additional land available for purchase, ranging from three to 15 acres or for build-to-suit opportunities. This is the second tract sold at the Southlake Office Park this year, following JLL’s completed sale of a 3.6-acre site for a new VA clinic in January 2020.

Southlake offers a variety of options for businesses with both Class A and B office offerings, flex space for companies requiring warehouse or loading capabilities, and 45 acres for development. The park has an on-site daycare center, on-site management office, the Lenexa Conference Center and the Lenexa Chamber of Commerce, and is strategically located in the center of Johnson County with easy access to I-35, I-435 and K-10 Highways.

Current amenities include three miles of walking trails, 10 well-stocked ponds, redundant high-speed fiber and dual power feeds. New amenities and upgrades to the properties have commenced construction this year, including Class-A common areas and tenant finishes, new monument signage for the entire park, new exterior painting of the Tech Center buildings, updated landscaping and the development of interior land sites with complimentary uses for the existing office tenants.

The design/construction team for Thrasher Foundation Repair project is comprised of Ryan Companies, TACK Architecture and Sidekick Development.

Established in 1975, Thrasher Foundation Repair is a part of Thrasher Group and does basement waterproofing, foundation repair, and concrete repair based out of Omaha, Neb., with regional locations in Wichita, Kansas City, Des Moines, Sioux City and Grand Island.

For more information about Southlake Office Park properties, please contact RJ Trowbridge at rj.trowbridge@am.jll.com.

The project, which is currently under construction, has an anticipated completion date of Q3 2021.

Office, retail plans emerge to replace former Macy's

A massive, mixed-use vision has emerged for a state-of-the-art renovation to transform the empty Macy’s at 7000 Mission Road in Prairie Village, Kan.

Maryland-based First Washington Realty (FWR) plans to create a 120,000 SF, multi-tenant anchor space for the three-story building, which has sat empty since fall 2019.

The proposed redevelopment includes two levels of retail on Levels 1 and 2. The Offices of the Village would occupy Level 3 and include nearly 39,000 SF of space which can be demised down to as low as 11,000 SF, according to Mike Levitan and Tim Schaffer with AREA Real Estate Advisors, who are leading the office leasing efforts. Depending upon the configuration, tenants would also have access to their own private outdoor terraces.

The new development plans highlight the built-in convenience of dozens of nearby restaurants, retail and grocery shops, salons, a florist, banks and more. Only footsteps away are Tavern in the Village, Dolce Bakery, Cafe Provence, Hen House, TCBY and Rise Biscuits & Donuts, to name a few.

FWR currently owns 103 shopping areas valued at over $5.5 billion in 22 states. Local shopping centers include Brookside Shops, Corinth Square North, Shops at Fairway, Shops of Prairie Village and coming soon - Corinth Quarter.

According to minutes from the Oct. 5, 2020 Prairie Village city council meeting, representatives from First Washington Realty met with Prairie Village mayor Eric Mikkelson and city staff to discuss how the former department store space could be utilized.

If passed, the proposal estimates a completion date for the renovation by spring 2021.