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.

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.

Superior Bowen paves way for growth and diversification with new HQ, hires

Superior Bowen is capping off its 70th year with new Crossroads digs and a flurry of projects in the pipeline.

The third-generation asphalt and paving contractor is growing its SiteWorks portfolio, recently winning contracts for Metro North Mall’s redevelopment and Johnson County’s new Indian Creek Library, while building its bread-and-butter business of large paving projects such as the Ford Claycomo Assembly Plant and Cerner Corporation's Innovations Campus.

“We’ve been incredibly busy and continue to diversify into business ventures necessitated by expansion and growth,” said Brian Johanning, Superior Bowen vice president of business development. “We are continuing to beef up our corporate resources and strengthen our foundation for growth.”

Superior Bowen doubled its footprint when it consolidated operations into a 30,000 square feet office in the historically renovated McQueeny Lock Building, 520 W. Pennway. Previously, staff had been cobbled together in a workshop and three mobile trailers adjacent to one of the company’s six asphalt plants at Manchester Trafficway and I-70.

The makeshift campus embodied Superior Bowen’s trademark grittiness and offered clients an up-close view of the plant and equipment, but Owner Trey Bowen recognized that the company needed a change of scenery to grow. After searching unsuccessfully in the West Bottoms for new digs with plentiful parking, Bowen opted to join Centric Projects and Inspired Homes in the century-old brick building.

“When it came to recruiting and retaining the next generation of talent, we needed to be where that talent wanted to be, and that is here in the Crossroads,” Bowen said. “This is an established, vibrant area.”

Superior Bowen also added four positions to its leadership team in 2018, hiring new vice presidents of marketing, human resources and business development, as well as a new safety director. Each hire is more than just an employee; they’re an investment in Superior Bowen’s future.

“When people come here, they don’t leave. During the Great Recession, nobody was laid off,” Bowen added. “We have room to grow here, which is purposeful.”

Eyeing potential along I-49, NorthPoint breaks ground on 148-acre golf course redevelopment

NorthPoint Development officially broke ground Wednesday morning on Southview Commerce Center, a 148-acre flex industrial campus at 16001 S. Outer Road just east of Interstate 49. At full buildout, the redevelopment of the former Southview Golf Course will create an estimated 1,400 jobs with an annual wage impact of $57 million.

“NorthPoint continues to expand its footprint in the Kansas City industrial market and we are pleased to announce our newest business park, Southview Commerce Center. This project shows our focus on investing in parks with great access, labor, and a strong public/private partnership like we have with the City of Belton,” said NorthPoint Development CEO Nathaniel Hagedorn, in a release.

Belton Mayor Jeff Davis noted NorthPoint Development’s success in helping transform communities through the development of quality business parks and thanked the development team for bringing its vision for the abandoned private golf course to the City.

“After sitting vacant for more than a decade, we believe that the redevelopment of the former Southview Golf Course will create new economic opportunity for the next generation of Belton residents,” Mayor Davis said. “The City is eager to continue working with NorthPoint to attract advanced manufacturing, warehouse and distribution operations to our community.”

Southview Commerce Center is master-planned for five state-of-the-art buildings ranging from 235,000 to 622,000 square feet, for a total footprint of more than 2 million square feet. The project’s construction timeline will be market driven based on leasing activity.

NorthPoint plans to invest more than $100 million in the redevelopment project.

“We always say, 'capital goes where capital is welcomed,’ and we feel very welcomed in Belton,” Hagedorn said. “Southview Commerce Center represents a large capital investment from our firm, which in turn will create significant job opportunities for the residents of Belton, Cass County, and the surrounding area.”

At the groundbreaking, NorthPoint Vice President Brent Miles credited the persistence of Belton Economic Development Director Carolyn Yatsook for NorthPoint’s initial interest in the site.

“We believe in Belton, and we believe in this site,” Miles said. “I wouldn’t be standing here today if I hadn’t decided to go to Big Cedar Lodge for Thanksgiving and ended up sitting on I-49 and seeing the site and saying, ‘Well, Carolyn continues to call me every three months, I think I’ll call her back.’ ”

Yatsook said the City has worked hard to create a business-friendly environment that allows developers like NorthPoint and business prospects to have an expedited, hassle-free experience as they move through the approval process.

“We offer a single departmental contact to help guide our development partners every step of the way-from initial consultation through to project delivery,” Yatsook said. “We also recognize that many projects are time sensitive. NorthPoint was able to move from land acquisition to today’s groundbreaking in under six months, which means they will be able to take advantage of this historically strong industrial market.”

Mark Fountain of True North Industrial Realty will lead leasing efforts for Southview Commerce Center.