Wichita developer sets sights on upscale office park near Lenexa City Center

Wichita-based Vantage Point Properties has entered the Kansas City market, announcing plans to develop Reflections at City Center, a sprawling Class A office complex in Lenexa.

"Our vision is to create an environment that is both aesthetically and functionally different from any other office park in the Kansas City area," said Paul Jackson, president and founder of Vantage Point Properties. "Every detail - walkable paths, architectural lighting, and sculptures - will come together to create a comfortable, enjoyable place to work."

The commercial real estate company just closed on 32 acres at I-435 and Renner Road and envisions a walkable, upscale 315,000-square foot campus featuring reflection pools and three restaurants. The Lenexa City Council has approved tax increment financing for the project, which will break ground pending identification of an anchor tenant. 

"The project will provide a unique opportunity for a company to come in and make the site their own," Jackson said. "They will really be able to create their own footprint here. We're ready to make a deal happen with the right partner."

Jackson, who co-founded Vantage Point Properties in 1992, sees opportunity in the relatively stable Kansas City market.

"It has a track record of steady growth," Jackson said. "And Lenexa is the perfect spot for our first project."

Matt Stover and Tracy Wilson of Colliers are marketing the property for lease. 

Delaware Street Project developer adds Plexpod, promises more announcements

The addition of co-working concept Plexpod to the Delaware Street Project in the River Market is central to Epoch Developments’ overall strategy as it builds a walkable, creative district along the KC Streetcar line just north of I-70.

“Plexpod’s unique collaborative co-working community is exactly the type of tenant we’re hoping to attract,” Epoch Developments Founder Craig Slawson explained. “You can’t just lay products on the table and expect someone to be sucked into the space. You have to have something interesting to help curate a better experience for everyone.”

Co-working is one leg of a three-legged stool required for successful community activation and livelihood, according to Slawson, who lives in Denver but has long-standing family ties to the River Market area. The other legs of the stool are bars/restaurants and merchants.

Epoch owns 10 of the 18 street-facing buildings on historic Delaware Street and is about halfway through the redevelopment process. Slawson expects to make several new announcements by the end of the year-including an occupant for a streetcar donated by the City and tenants for existing storefront space and new construction.

Plexpod's new 8,000+ square foot space located on the first and second floors of 510 Delaware will open in December and be the company's fourth metro-area location, according to a release. 

“We see River Market and namely Delaware Street as one of the leading emerging hot spots of amenities, which is ideal for our Plexpod member community,” said Gerald Smith, founder and CEO. "This new facility will be another great collaboration location for Plexpod member-companies across the metro to access and enjoy.”   

Plexpod facilities in The Crossroads, Westport and Lenexa offer 16 types of work styles ranging from open desks and collaborative workspaces to private offices and team spaces. The concept features meeting rooms, photography studios and performance theaters as well as personal amenities including outdoor space, social events and fitness options.

Florida healthcare technology company expands to metro with new Lenexa distribution center

Convey Health Solutions has expanded into the Kansas City region with a new 38,000-square foot distribution facility at Lackman Business Center, 106th Street and Lackman Road, in Lenexa. The leased space will accommodate the company’s expected growth in the government sponsored healthcare market, allowing Convey to more than triple its shipping capacity.

“As we continue to provide end-to-end OTC solutions for major health plans in the Medicare and Medicaid markets, we want to operate in a central location to provide better service to our clients and their members,” Convey Executive Vice President Jonathan Starr said. 

Convey’s benefits program is designed to help members better manage their day-to-day health while at home. With volume projected to grow more than 50 percent in 2019, the company’s new location will include the latest logistics technology to increase efficiencies and streamline the distribution process.

Convey plans to hire 40 employees at its Lenexa facility. Phil Algrim of Jones Lang LaSalle represented Convey in the transaction; Joe Accurso and Rob Holland of Cushman & Wakefield represented the landlord. Additional partners included the State of Kansas, City of Lenexa, Kansas City Area Development Council, and KC SmartPort. 

“Kansas City continues to attract distribution centers due to our access to markets and customers throughout the U.S., and Convey recognized this locational advantage,” said KC SmartPort President Chris Gutierrez. “We expect to see another great year of locational decisions in KC with manufacturing, regional distribution and e-commerce facilities.”

“It is always exciting to welcome a fast-growing company like Convey Health Solutions to our region,” added KCADC President and CEO Tim Cowden. “The KC region continues to rise to the top of the list of cities that are ideal for logistics, supply chain and distribution operations and we’re honored to be the newest home for Convey.”

Additional comments from project partners:

“Our state’s central location always makes Kansas the prime choice for companies looking to locate a distribution center, and combined with the Kansas City area’s already strong concentration of healthcare service companies, Convey Health Solutions couldn’t have picked a better location for its new facility,” said Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer, M.D. “We are excited to have this pioneering technology company expanding in Kansas and look forward to our continued partnership.”

“We are very pleased that Convey Health Solutions has chosen Lenexa for their new facility,” said Lenexa Mayor Mike Boehm. “This operation will feature top of the line technology and will serve as a showcase for the industry. I think Convey will be a great addition to the region.”

Elite Sports announces $25M investment in five facilities across KC region

Elite Sports will invest $25 million in five youth sports facilities across the Kansas City region, bringing the Olathe-based company's total footprint to 650,000 square feet. 

The new facilities also will bring more than 500 new jobs to the metro area, according to a release from the sports development and management company. 

"Our new facilities are paving the way for local clubs - practice is no longer a drop-off, but a lifestyle that goes well beyond the sport, and a unique experience that parents can enjoy as well," said Jason Bryson, CEO of Elite Sports.

The new, multi-sport facilities offer a one-stop shop for local athletes and parents with amenities such as medical clinics, fitness gyms, sports massage, classrooms, parent workstations, lounges, arcades, full-service bars, and nail salons. 

In addition to state-of-the-art technology and equipment for training, the facilities go beyond the sport and introduce youth athletes to life skills through various educational classes and opportunities.

Clubs and leagues including MAVS Volleyball, Elite Softball Academy, Kansas City Scott Gallagher and Heartland Futsal call the facilities home. Elite Sports will also offer rental space to other metro-area clubs for multiple sports. The facilities will host local, regional and national tournaments.

"Not only do our facilities provide outstanding benefits for athletes and parents, but to entire communities and the general public as well," Bryson said. 

Elite Sports will offer memberships to its fitness gyms and classes, known as The Burn KC. Two of the five planned Elite Sports centers - Olathe and Overland Park - opened earlier this year, and the remaining three facilities in Lenexa, Olathe and Kansas City plan to open later in 2018.

Lee's Summit study finds city is ripe for fresh multi-family development

The City of Lee’s Summit could support up to 2,300 additional market rate apartments over the next decade beyond existing supply or projects in the pipeline, according to a 2017 multi-family housing study commissioned by the Lee’s Summit City Council and conducted by Vogt Strategic Insights.

“Lee’s Summit continues to see strong activity and interest in multi-family construction, and this study will help inform the city’s economic development decisions as it considers future projects,” Ryan Elam, director of the Lee’s Summit Development Center, said in a release.

Multi-family construction in Lee’s Summit dried up after the 2008 housing crisis but saw signs of life in 2016 when NorthPoint Development opened The Residences at New Longview, a 309-unit, luxury apartment community that saw the developer’s fastest lease-up to date. 

“New Longview’s success essentially became a proof-of-concept for Lee’s Summit multi-family development, leading to a sharp uptick in permits and proposed projects,” said Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council President Rick McDowell. “In 2016, the city approved five new apartment complexes, for a total of more than 1,400 living units.”

The study found that Lee’s Summit’s existing market is very strong with a 98.4 percent occupancy rate, with about 30 percent of renters coming from outside the area. In addition to identifying strong capacity for market-rate apartment development, the study found that Lee’s Summit could support up to 503 additional units of age-restricted housing, as well as up to 400 additional units of affordable apartments.

To conduct the study, Vogt Strategic Insights completed a field survey of 27 apartment projects in Lee’s Summit and 101 projects throughout the region, comparing rents and amenities among more than 22,000 rental units in Independence, Blue Springs, Grandview, Overland Park, Olathe, Lenexa, and Lee’s Summit.

The 200-page housing study considered factors such as demographics, population growth forecasts, household income and the regional suburban Kansas City apartment market, and used a conservative 4.4 percent predicted growth in households over the next 10 years.