The GSA rededicated the Richard Bolling building, 601 E. 12th, on Friday.
The General Services Administration wrapped up a $280 million renovation project of a signature 1.2-million- square-foot downtown office building with a formal re-dedication ceremony on Friday.
The GSA and its project partners — including JE Dunn as general contractor, Helix Architecture + Design as architect, and GastingerWalker& as construction manager as agent — modernized the Richard Bolling Federal Building by making the building more energy efficient, upgrading its security features and building systems, and abating environmental issues.
New shared workspaces offer the modern employee more options for different types of workstations.
The modernization of the building is in design compliance with the US Green Building Council‘s LEED Silver certification requirements. According to Helix, the project was designed under the GSA’s Design Excellence Program and aimed to improve the workplace environment for the building’s occupants, all of which remained in the building while work was completed.
“The modernization of the building is in design compliance with the US Green Building Council’s LEED Silver certification requirements,” Helix said in a statement. Today, the site boasts more trees than any other property in downtown Kansas City. Outdoor salons and inviting landscaping have created a hotspot for visitors and employees in the area. In addition to native grasses, the building now boasts a green roof and two underground cisterns, which capture water for irrigation.
A USACE survey says employees in the renovated building find that it’s now a more positive and efficient work environment.
Flexible interior environments have been tailored to the culture of each organization housed inside the building, and each have room for future growth. Interior modernization now offers employees alternative office spaces — lounge areas, small team rooms, conference rooms, etc. — and accommodate a broad range of work styles. Shared work spaces and wireless Internet accommodate mobile workers and support collaboration. The 18-story office building originally opened in 1962, named after Richard Bolling, a Kansas City congressman who represented his district for roughly 30 years. Today, more than 2,800 federal employees work in the building.