Donald E. Maxwell, attorney & developer

As one of next week's MWM’s KC Market Forecast Summit panelists, attorney and developer Donald (Don) E. Maxwell will weigh in on what's in store for the Kansas City commercial real estate industry in 2022 and beyond.

Besides being a lifetime Kansas Citian (Grandview High School graduate) and successful attorney, Maxwell is also co-owner of the development company Linwood Investors, LLC with his father, Donald Maxwell. The pair created the vision behind the Bluford Library revitalization project on 31st and Prospect in Kansas City, Mo.

The mixed-use concept, currently pending final financial approval, will consist of the demolition and reconstruction of the Bluford Library to a two-story, 22,000-SF facility with rooftop access.

The layout, designed by Helix Architecture + Design, will include approximately 5,000 SF of dedicated restaurant space; approximately 100,000 SF of office space; three multifamily buildings, totaling 199 units of studio, one- and two-bedroom apartment units; approximately 30,000 SF of retail space; a dedicated clubhouse for the multifamily residents; and three, six-unit townhomes.

"The Bluford Project, upon completion, will serve as a catalyst for continued development on Kansas City’s east side. We hope to attract working families who want to live, work and play in Kansas City’s urban core and provide the essential goods and services they need to maintain a healthy standard of living. By doing so, we hope to create a positive impact on the quality of life of all the residents in the neighborhoods surrounding this project," Maxwell said.

Other recent revitalization projects behind the Linwood Investors duo include the $11 million redevelopment of the Linwood Square Shopping Center (completed in 2020) and a $17 million redevelopment of the Linwood Shopping Center (completed in 2018), both blighted retail strip centers in the Linwood-Prospect corridor located on Kansas City’s east side.

As the owner of the law firm, Donald E. Maxwell, LLC, which he began in 2003, Maxwell's areas of expertise include general corporate matters, estate planning and real estate - including residential and commercial real estate development; contract negotiation; public financing, including tax increment financing; low-income tax credits, historic tax credits, new markets tax credits; HUD financing; Central City sales tax financing; commercial lease negotiations; restrictive covenants; foreclosures and 1031 Exchanges.

Maxwell received a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Missouri – Columbia and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Kansas School of Law.

Maxwell will join moderator, Chris Vaeth with McCownGordon Construction; along with panelists Leonard Popplewell with Cushman & Wakefield; Tim McKee with Olathe Chamber of Commerce; and Rob Bratcher with KC Commerce Bank on the KC Market Forecast panel next Wednesday morning at 8 am at JCCC.

To learn more about the event or to register, please visit http://www.metrowiremedia.com/2022-kc-market-forecast.

Greene means go for Cushman & Wakefield office broker

Andrew Greene, a senior associate at Cushman & Wakefield, has worked over 12 years in the commercial real estate space, with experience in sales and leasing, property management and lease portfolio management.

As part of the office services team, Andrew represents landlords, tenants and corporate clients with a strategic focus on establishing and achieving client goals and objectives while managing client relationships.

“I started my career in brokerage and then shifted to the property management side of the business for a few years, gaining valuable insight into the operation and management of retail, office and industrial assets in the Kansas City area.  In 2012, I moved to Dallas and served as a director of real estate for a national company that provided business services to orthodontists and pediatric dentists,” Greene said.

“In the spring of 2019, my family and I moved back to Kansas City and I joined Cushman & Wakefield as a broker.  I teamed up with Suzanne Dimmel and Leonard Popplewell, where we function as a three-person team. I was drawn to Cushman & Wakefield given its global platform, resources and focus on quality and delivery.”

MWM: What is your bread and butter today at Cushman & Wakefield?

Office leasing and sales throughout Kansas City and its submarkets.  Given my background, I also have a concentration on medical/healthcare real estate.  I really enjoy learning about businesses and their operations while assisting clients in establishing their real estate goals and providing a strategic plan on how to get there using my knowledge of the market.  

MWM: What market trends are you seeing with your clients?

We are seeing companies return to the office coming out of the pandemic, and expect this trend to continue as the year goes on. I think next comes a cycle of planning to determine where companies go from here. Our team is actively involved in conversations related to strategic workplace solutions and how that pertains to clients’ short- and long-term visions.

MWM: What do you see the local and national CRE rebound including?

Flexibility.  I think we all have heard and continue to hear flexibility. The return to the office seems to carry a focus on flexibility and hybrid models as employers look to bring employees back to the office.  

Additionally, we are seeing a draw to amenity-rich, Class A space. Companies are looking to take less space but upgrade quality and build an inviting workplace for employees to return to.   

Lastly, we have seen local businesses purchasing small office buildings in an effort to control their real estate and take advantage of low interest rates. 

MWM: What have you done to adapt to the changes in CRE?

I think the pandemic has brought a new layer of customer service and level of detail to the everchanging market.  It seemed like new reports, articles and news stories were coming out with information almost daily.  I felt very fortunate to have a variety of resources available to me through Cushman & Wakefield, especially with our global presence.  We were able to keep our clients up to date with information and industry trends.

MWM: What challenges and opportunities are your main asset classes facing now?

I’d say for challenges: Work-from-home business models, the sublease market and construction costs.  

As for opportunities, we are beginning to see more tours in the market and companies identifying their needs. People have started to identify what they want their office to be in the future, and now we are helping them realize that vision.  

MWM: What’s your viewpoint on the current state of the market in Kansas City?

I am optimistic about Kansas City for a variety of reasons.  Kansas City has a strong labor market, which is diversified by a variety of industries.  The diverse employment base has allowed the market to weather economic challenges and expand regardless of individual sectors or trends. The city has historically been a logistics hub, while more recent developments have seen the city become a center for technological and medical innovation as well. I am looking forward for good things to come. 

MWM: Any other insight you’d like to share with us?

We are currently working on a number of strategic consulting projects with clients and are looking forward to new agency leasing listings and tenant rep opportunities. Our team is excited to further assist current clients and prospects with their real estate needs as they return to the office. 

MWM:  How can prospects contact you for more information? 

I can be reached by phone at 816-216-5654 or by email at andrew.greene@cushwake.com. 

If you, or someone you know, would like to be considered for MWM’s Broker Spotlight, please email lisa@metrowriemedia.com.

Lee's Summit Medical Center expands campus, services

Cushman & Wakefield’s Andrew Greene and Leonard Popplewell hosted a broker tour of the newly constructed 52,000-SF medical office building this week, located on the campus of the Lee’s Summit Medical Center in Lee's Summit, Mo.

Developed and owned by Healthpeak Properties, Inc. of Franklin Tenn., HCA-Lee’s Summit Medical Center’s physicians’ groups will occupy the first and third floors and begin seeing patients in September 2020.

Kansas City medical office brokers toured the building's second floor, which includes 17,000 SF available for lease, a 1,500-SF spec suite and 5,000 SF for lease on the third floor.

“This multimillion dollar expansion represents an investment in the high-quality, comprehensive specialty care that we are committed to providing our community. It will allow Lee’s Summit Medical Center to expand the services we offer to the area we serve. It is yet another milestone in our continued growth within the community by bringing in more medical specialties while allowing us to provide space for existing specialties to grow," said John McDonald, Lee’s Summit Medical Center’s president.

Owner/developer Healthpeak Properties also owns medical office buildings on the campuses of Centerpoint Medical Center in Indeoendence, Mo. and Menorah Medical Center in Overland Park, Kan.