Ryan Companies opens new KC office

Ryan Companies has officially moved into its new Kansas City office on a second-floor suite of the Interstate Securities Building/Topsy Building at 215 E 18th St. in downtown Kansas City, Mo.

The construction and real estate development firm has been working in the KC market for 15 years, but it wasn’t until 2018 that they established a physical presence in the city.

The 3,213 SF office is designed to seat 16 employees, with room to expand up to 24. The building was built in 1950 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The decision to further invest in the Kansas City market was ultimately made because of their success that has come out of the last decade and a half paired with a great outlook for decades to come, according to Ryan's marketing team.

“We’re stoked to be in another one of 3D Development’s and Lankford Fendler’s projects. True to fashion, they continue to outdo themselves and we can’t wait to pour an Irish pint (or two) when we have our official open house. In the meantime, give us a ring, bring a mask and come check out our new digs! You’ll love our Northwoods fireplace (in the winter) and the view from the rooftop the next time the temperature drops,” said Aaron Schlagel, vice president – real estate development, midwest region for Ryan Companies.

Ryan Companies also announced the relocation of  Craig Thompson, vice president of construction, from its Des Moines, Iowa offices to its new office in Kansas City.

“I want to help build something in Kansas City that will continue for years to come. In Des Moines, we were able to grow the office by four times what it was when we began. With Kansas City being a bigger market, the sky is the limit for what we can do here,” said Thompson.

Thompson, who just celebrated his 20-year anniversary with Ryan Companies, will help lead the growth of Ryan’s rapidly expanding team and presence in Kansas City.

Ryan Companies’ noteworthy local projects include Commerce Tower, St. Luke’s Community Hospital in Shawnee, Kan.) and multiple projects for Target and Amazon. The company will focus on real estate development while continuing to provide construction services.

'Resmercial,' blurred lines between office and home dominate Big KC Office Trend discussion

Office efficiencies and the blending of boundaries between home and work were among trends tackled by panelists at MetroWire Media's Big KC Office Trends event on March 29 at WeWork.

Check out a snapshot of talking points from the panel discussion led by JE Dunn Vice President Jon Dandurand: 

"Efficiency is the game now. When you have a market that is really tight like this one is, you have rents increasing. Companies are always looking for ways to keep their costs down, so I would say they are getting a lot more efficient. It used to be an average of 200-250 square feet per person, and we are now seeing 150-200 square feet per person, and I see that trend continuing as companies get a lot smarter with their space going forward." -Rollie Fors, Colliers

"Creating a living room and a more residential feeling in the office environment is completely on trend and where things are going. That living room-style space really supports workers and their activities. Sometimes those common spaces are almost an afterthought. We spend so much time thinking about the workspace and then get to the end and think, 'let's throw a sofa and couple chairs in there' ... If we start planning those common spaces and shared amenities first, then you can really create dynamic spaces." -Stacey Roth, Scott Rice

"Engagement is one of the biggest topics we discuss with clients these days. It's interesting how space really can affect positively or negatively the connection you have with people on your team and clients. So what we find is the more we can create spaces within your place and give people the choice and control of how they work and when they work then we find the engagement level can be improved." -Trevor Hoiland, Burns & McDonnell

"The demographics are not changing how we work. The difference is coming from technology. that it is proliferating the hours We work from 5 am when we wake up to midnight when we go to bed, and It means our office space is becoming more like home and our home is becoming more like office space. It's creating a different type of product." -Aaron Schlagel, Ryan Companies

"Workspace efficiency has really changed the way companies look for space. From a development landowner perspective, we try to build amenities like rooftop patios into all of our projects as well as plenty of unique spaces outside the usual tenant footprint, so for example employees can enjoy getting away from their offices with shared conference rooms versus dedicated conference rooms." -Vince Bryant, 3D Development

Check out an event slideshow below. Photos by ArchPhotoKC.