Savoy Tea Co. joins The District at Lenexa City Center

Copaken Brooks has announced Savoy Tea Company will be joining the Shops at The District at Lenexa City Center.

This is the first Kansas City location for the company, which has locations throughout northwest Arkansas and Oklahoma City, Okla.

Founded in Rogers, Ark. in 2011, Savoy Tea Co. carries over 150 specialty and rare teas sourced from tea gardens and family farms spanning across the world. Each of the specialty flavored teas are crafted by Savoy Tea Company, formulated to perfection by their professional team of Tea Specialists at the Savoy Tea Laboratory in Fayetteville, Ark.

“Kansas City has such an incredible small business community, and we’re thrilled to join those ranks,” said Bill Beyer, a Certified Tea Specialist and Tea Blender who co-owns Savoy with his wife, Tina Beyer, an Internationally Certified Tea Sommelier.

Bill and Tina Beyer have been educated by the Specialty Tea Institute of America, an accredited institution that leads the nation in tea education curriculum.

Savoy Tea Co. plans to use its team of experts to teach a diverse arrangement of tea classes, specialty tastings, and communal workshops partnered with fellow local Kansas City businesses to educate the community on all thing’s tea.

“We’re excited to plant our roots in Lenexa, which we hope will be the first of many locations throughout the metropolitan area,”Beyer said.

Erin Johnston, vice president of retail brokerage at Copaken Brooks, represented both Savoy Tea and The District in the deal.

“We toured various spaces throughout the greater metro with Savoy, but it was clear that The District was the best fit for their expansion into the Kansas City market, Lenexa’s new downtown continues to be a top destination for small businesses, and we’re proud to have a unique specialty shop like Savoy at our property,” Johnston said.

When fully developed, Lenexa City Center will consist of more than 2 million SF, including civic components for the City of Lenexa, nearly 1 million SF of office and retail and 375 residential units. The District Shops will include a variety of unique stores, restaurants and cafes in the heart of Lenexa’s new downtown.

KC's iconic 'Flashcube' building now open

The iconic “Flashcube” building at 720 Main Street in Kansas City, Mo., which previously sat vacant for nearly fifteen years, is now open for business.

The newly renovated, modern mixed-use building opened on August 14, 2020.

Worcester Investments partnered with MW Builders as the general contractor and Clockwork Architecture + Design to renovate the 220,000-SF space into 184 apartment units and 17,834 SF of office space on the first two floors.

The major piece and largest challenge of the project included replacing all the exterior glass that inspired the building’s nickname and landed the building on the National Register of Historic Places. The MW Builders team replaced more than 2,300 panes of glass -averaging twelve panes a day- to preserve the late-modern look and feel of the building.

“Flashcube has been a unique part of the downtown Kansas City skyline for a long time. It was exciting to see our crews step up to a new challenge on this project and preserve the building’s iconic look while giving the building a new purpose,” said Todd Winnerman, president of MW Builders.

Located alongside Kansas City’s Streetcar line, the new Flashcube Apartments will attract urban dwellers looking for easy access to public transit.

Plexpod, a coworking facility, takes up two floors and roughly 17,834 square feet of the building. Residents and other Plexpod members will have access to the building’s amenities, such as an indoor soccer field, rock climbing wall, indoor basketball court, yoga and fitness room, game room and pickleball courts.

Raymore Commerce Center breaks ground, begins leasing

Brinkmann Constructors recently broke ground on a 565,000-SF spec building in Raymore Commerce Center, an industrial logistics park located on 136 acres in the I-49 corridor in Raymore, Mo.

Colliers International is representing the developer, VanTrust Real Estate, and is actively searching for tenants to fill the space - the first of three planned buildings expected to total nearly 2 million SF upon completion.

“We are honored to work with a well-known and respected group like VanTrust. Regardless of who ultimately leases this space, they will no doubt bring jobs to the community and open up the corridor to even further development – an economic win all the way around,,” said Ed Elder, president at Colliers International | Kansas City.

Raymore Commerce Center offers tenants a fixed 20-year tax abatement program, proximity to a superior labor pool in the Kansas City MSA and exceptional access to the surrounding logistics network via I-49. 

“What drew us to Raymore was the access, workforce, a great land-owner partner and City that is pro-development. VanTrust is thrilled to kickoff Raymore Commerce Center and looks forward to partnering with the City of Raymore for years to come,” said Grant Harrison, director at VanTrust.

Building I is expected for delivery Q3 2021. Building 2 will include 415,000± SF and Building 3 will total 1,040,000± SF. Delivery dates for the additional two buildings are TBA.

“Brinkmann is honored to work with the stellar team on this project. This build will bring great opportunity and access to the area,” said Mike Uhrig, Brinkmann Constructor project director.

Other partners involved in the Raymore Commerce Center project include architect, GBA and civil engineer, Olsson.

For more information on this development, visit the project website at RaymoreCommerceCenter.com.

Kassie Murphy with Newmark Grubb Zimmer

This week’s MWM Broker Spotlight features Kassie Murphy, associate with Newmark Grubb Zimmer, who specializes in sales and leasing of retail properties in the Kansas City metro and surrounding areas.

RT: What was your lightbulb moment to get into commercial real estate?

I have always been fascinated by the structure and set up of communities, specifically how our communities are built and changed. Commercial real estate has always sparked my interest because you are at the forefront of seeing properties change hands, tenants making moves and ultimately how that shapes the communities we live in.

RT: Who do you mentor?

I enjoy mentoring clients on the process of commercial real estate – whether they are leasing or buying. I also love when I talk with somebody considering starting a new business. Being an entrepreneur myself, it is exciting to talk with like-minded people who are ready to take risks and make big changes. I also enjoy mentoring those that are just starting out in commercial real estate, and am always happy to help in whatever ways I can.

RT: What gets you excited to get to work every day?

I love that every day is different in the brokerage world. I get to talk with a variety of people - from a new business concept, somebody that is just starting to look for their perfect space, or a landlord that is looking to reinvent their shopping center to name a few. I also get excited to learn about new projects, discover new properties and learn about how our city is changing through the commercial real estate world.

RT: What keeps you up at night about commercial real estate?

Questioning the true impacts of COVID-19 on commercial real estate and business in general. I think we will continue to see the impacts, both positive and negative, in the coming months and even years.

RT: When did you get your CCIM/other continuing education and how has it affected your career?

I received my Masters in Entrepreneurial Real Estate from UMKC in 2017. During the program, I was working at Newmark Grubb Zimmer as a property manager. Continuing my education, focused on commercial real estate, it really opened me up to other possibilities within the world of CRE. It also gave me more confidence in my knowledge and abilities that I gained and already had to pursue a different path in commercial real estate.

In addition, I have real world experience of owning a women’s clothing boutique - en·sem·ble in downtown Overland Park (Kan.). Going through the commercial real estate leasing process firsthand in the retail world gives me the ability to relate to tenants who are going through the same process. I am also able to talk about the current environment with COVID-19 and how that has impacted retail.

RT: How do you keep your skills sharp in this competitive climate?

I stay in tune with what is happening in the Kansas City market and beyond through networking groups and events (CREW, ICSC, ULI, etc.), talking with everyone from business/retail owners, landlords, tenants and participating in market update calls, both in the Kansas City market and beyond. Above all, the collaboration between our brokerage team at NGZ has been crucial to not only sharpen my skills, but keep me motivated.

RT: What deal do you wish for in your future portfolio?

I would love to connect with a new retailer/franchisee that sees the opportunity of Kansas City and is looking to grow with multiple locations in the market.

RT: What does a Kansas City CRE Comeback look like you?

I envision commercial real estate, specifically related to the retail sector, seeing a world of retailers recreating themselves to provide an elevated experience to customers. COVID or not, I think customers are asking for more when it comes to shopping and dining. Efficiency, customer service and unique experience are going to be key when it comes to retailers making a comeback. This will inevitably impact the types of deals being made in commercial real estate. I also think we will see more creativity for use of the larger department stores/retailers going dark. Kansas City has always been great at creativity and thinking outside the box – so I am excited to see what the next world of retailers brings to the CRE world!

RT: How can prospects contact you for more information?

I can be reached via my cell phone at 913-424-5418 or by email at kmurphy@ngzimmer.com. I can connect over the phone/via email but also enjoy meeting new prospects in person to really to get to know them!

__________________________________

Staying true to MetroWire Media’s focus on all things commercial real estate, we have added a new, feature column: MWM's BROKER SPOTLIGHT.

The goal is to provide our readers with direct insight to Kansas City’s brightest, up-and-coming CRE professionals.

Discover the true brains behind the build - including their professional focus, career paths, future plans, goals and more.

Know a broker, developer or other KC CRE pro who deserves to be featured in the MWM Spotlight? Please send details to kcnews@metrowiremedia.com.