Featured photos credit to: Jacia Phillips | Arch Photo KC
Farewell to the pavilion: Overland Park’s Farmers' Market makes way for a fresh start
The Overland Park Farmers’ Market hosted its annual Holiday Market on Saturday, Dec. 7, marking the end of an era for the beloved pavilion. The event, held from 8 a.m. to noon, combined the market’s signature farm-fresh produce and local foods with a festive holiday atmosphere, drawing in the community for a morning of celebration and nostalgia.
This year’s market was especially significant as it was the last to take place in the current pavilion before its removal. Attendees were invited to leave farewell messages on the structure, which will be donated to Garnett, Kan., where it will serve as a farmers’ market facility.
Overland Park Mayor Curt Skoog addressed the community, reflecting on the pavilion’s legacy and providing updates on the forthcoming improvements. After the 2024 market season, the pavilion will be dismantled to make way for a modern farmers’ market facility and downtown gathering space. The Farmers’ Market will temporarily relocate to the Matt Ross Community Center, just two blocks away, for the 2025 season.
The new facility is set to open in spring 2026 and represents a multi-decade investment in downtown Overland Park. The updated market will include indoor spaces to better accommodate vendors and shoppers and permanent shade structures to enhance comfort in outdoor areas. Additional seating and expanded restroom facilities will create a more inviting environment for visitors. Surrounding public spaces, including Clock Tower Plaza and Marty St., will also receive significant upgrades. During non-market days, parking will remain accessible, ensuring convenience for residents and visitors. The new space is designed to serve as a dynamic venue for concerts, watch parties, and other community events, complementing future private development in the area.
Above: A rendering of the new downtown Overland Park Farmers’ Market layout. Image courtesy of the City of Overland Park
Sustainability is a key focus of the project. The market will feature solar panels on the pavilion roof, electric vehicle charging stations, and reflective pavement and shade structures to reduce heat in outdoor spaces. LED and solar-powered lighting will provide energy-efficient illumination, while native landscaping will enhance the area's aesthetic and environmental value. Recycling and composting facilities will also be available, underscoring the city’s commitment to eco-friendly operations. Construction materials will be locally sourced, low-carbon, and recycled wherever possible to minimize environmental impact. Accessibility and connectivity will also be improved.
The project will maintain the tradition of closing Marty St. on market days to enhance walkability and bike-ability while adding designated bike and scooter parking to support sustainable transportation.
Construction is scheduled to begin in December 2024 and is expected to be completed by summer 2026. The revitalized market and gathering space will become a vibrant centerpiece of downtown Overland Park, combining modern amenities with sustainability and community-focused design. The project is anticipated to play a significant role during the Kansas City metro’s hosting of six World Cup games in 2026, showcasing Overland Park’s dedication to creating a dynamic and welcoming space for residents and visitors alike.
Header image: A Rendering of the new downtown Overland Park Farmers' Market set to open by Summer 2026. Image courtesy of The City of Overland Park
The Refinery breaks ground, bringing new energy to KC's Crossroads
2024 KCADC Annual Meeting highlights $1.8B of new investment across the region
The Kansas City Area Development Council (KCADC) hosted its 2024 Annual Meeting last week, drawing over 2,000 civic and business leaders to celebrate a year of robust regional growth and strategic industry advancements. Under the theme “FLEX,” the event underscored the region’s adaptability as a cornerstone of its success. It highlighted achievements in the Kansas City metro area, including 18 counties across Kansas and Missouri.
Record-Breaking Investments and Job Creation
This year, KCADC and its partners secured commitments from 16 companies, resulting in $1.8 billion in capital investments, nearly 1,500 new jobs, $104.7 million in wages, and 2.3 million SF of new development. These milestones reflect Kansas City’s growing prominence as a hub for innovation and opportunity.
Google’s $1 billion data center in Kansas City, Mo., was among the most notable investments in 2024. Alongside its infrastructure project, Google committed to advancing sustainability by adding 400 megawatts of carbon-free energy to the grid. The company also demonstrated a strong community focus, contributing $100,000 to the North Kansas City School District’s STEM initiatives and announcing an additional $120,000 investment to strengthen STEM programs in Kansas City Public Schools.
Strengthening Global Recognition
Increased media attention has bolstered Kansas City’s growing reputation. Over 630 stories spotlight its economic wins and quality-of-life benefits, reaching an estimated 1.25 billion people globally and enhancing the region’s visibility on the international stage.
KCADC President and CEO Tim Cowden emphasized the importance of leveraging this momentum for future growth, attributing the success to a unified regional vision.
Keynote and Awards
Lisa Bodell, CEO of FutureThink and a best-selling author, delivered the keynote address, offering actionable insights into how simplification can drive efficiency and amplify impact. Her message resonated with attendees, providing tools to help businesses streamline operations and focus on meaningful work.
KCADC has also received accolades for its efforts to promote the region. The organization earned two gold medals from the International Economic Development Council, recognizing its KC Options Magazine and the “KC Design Draft” campaign for excellence in economic development marketing.
Building for the Future
As Kansas City continues to grow, leaders across industries remain focused on fostering a resilient and inclusive economy. From groundbreaking investments in infrastructure and education to enhanced global recognition, the region is poised for sustained success.
The KCADC Annual Meeting reinforced the importance of flexibility and collaboration in shaping the future, ensuring Kansas City remains a leader in innovation and a magnet for talent and investment.
Header image: Board of Directors incoming co-chair and Evergy President/CEO, David Campbell speaks at the 2024 KCADC Annual Meeting. Image courtesy of the Kansas City Area Development Council
Kansas City industrial experts tackle land scarcity, utility access and market opportunities
There may be a perception that land is scarce for industrial projects, but according to Morgan Mutert, director of business development and governmental affairs at Hunt Midwest, land is available. Still, it may not be development-ready to meet the tight timelines demanded by users.
Mutert, a panelist at MetroWire Media’s Kansas City Industrial Summit held last week, was joined by Michael Dustman, senior project manager at SCS Engineers; Kurt Jensen, SIOR, principal/industrial brokerage at Kessinger Hunter; Sam Stahnke, P.E., vice president at ARCO National Construction; and Sean Washatka, assistant vice president at Emery Sapp & Sons, Inc., to discuss the state of the industrial market and its challenges and opportunities. Joe Perry, vice president of real estate at Port KC, moderated.
“I think the users that we are seeing are really focused on speed to market. A lot of the projects that we’ve seen in the last year, two years, maybe even before that, when we receive the request, they want to be operational within 12 to 18 months, so they’re really looking for sites that check the box and that have the utilities and meet the labor force requirement. . . . Being able to meet their timeline is incredibly important,” Mutert said.
Mutert said projects used to be led by the availability of the labor force. While that remains a top requirement when users look for industrial sites, the availability of utilities is also vitally important.
“Utilities have become a big factor for any client right now. With some of the utilities, especially in Kansas City, having certain areas where they’re stretched as far as capacity is concerned, that becomes a big issue,” said Stahnke.
Jensen agreed that the availability of utilities is key to landing new industrial projects.
“I think utility nationally is really the conversation, and Kansas City, I think, can be well positioned to accommodate that. I think that as long as we can keep getting heavy power and the proper water to facilities, we’re going to see a lot of good activity in the next handful of years,” he said.
Mutert said if a site does not support the utility demand, it could add three years to the development timeline, which the project does not have.
According to Dustman, alternative power sources like solar could help solve utility shortages.
“We are putting solar on top of landfills. We are cleaning that solar and selling it back to the grid. . . . I think solar and utility usage is a big player, and we just need to find the sites,” Dustman said.
Above: Moderator Joe Perry of Port KC addresses the 2024 MWM Industrial Summit KC panelists at JCCC in Overland Park, Kan. Panelists from left to right: Sean Washakta, Kurt Jensen, Morgan Mutert, Sam Stahnke, and Michael Dustman. Photo credit: Jacia Phillips | Arch Photo KC
Another big factor in the site selection process for an industrial project is the availability of incentives, Mutert said.
Perry said that in the second quarter of 2024, there was a hyper-supply of industrial products with 2.3 million SF on the market in Kansas City. By the third quarter, that shrank to 700,000 SF.
Although industrial development projects have slowed down this year, Jensen said that has protected the Kansas City market from skyrocketing vacancies.
According to Jensen, demand from smaller operators in Kansas City remains strong.
“We’re starting to see a lot of clients who want to go to a building that’s just for them, so that becomes that 100,000, 150,000, maybe up to 300,000 SF building,” said Stahanke.
Perry said Kansas City currently has approximately 10.6 million SF under construction, with more than nine million of that being build to suit.
“It’s all preleased. So, we’re not really bringing a lot for next year. We just talked about 2.3 million SF hitting the market in Q2. Next year, we may only have 1 million SF for the whole year,” said Perry.
Reshoring nationally will be a big emphasis for the industrial market, especially in Kansas City, Jensen said.
Perry said in the last three years, manufacturing construction in the United States due to reshoring has nearly tripled from $100 billion in 2022 to just shy of $240 billion by the end of this year.
“We are genuinely just at the cusp [of reshoring]. We aren’t even prepared for what’s going to come in the next three, five, 10 years. So there’s a lot of opportunity out there, but also a lot of pressure to be able to deliver and make sure that we can reshore and bring things home. . . . I’m optimistic we’re headed toward a healthy 2025 where we’re going to see a lot of activity from reshoring, and a lot of build to suit activity will maintain that,” said Jensen.
Dustman said developers might look at repurposing existing buildings to create industrial space, citing a St. Louis client taking steps to convert an old 14-story health department building into a data center.
“The property sits at the juncture where the power comes in. . . . Maybe developers doing a little bit of utility research up front where those resources are already laid will expedite a little bit of timing,” he said.
Washatka said construction costs on industrial projects have not increased substantially in at least the last 12 months.
“I’ve got a feeling that 2025 is going to be about a flat year as far as growth in construction costs. So if lease rates are moving, it’s a good time to build, in my opinion,” Stahnke said.
Perry said that year over year, the industrial market is looking at an approximately five percent rent growth for the last quarter of this year.
“That’s pretty healthy,” said Perry.
New industrial projects create new jobs but can also result in a housing shortage. If there is increased residential construction activity in Kansas City and other markets, that could negatively impact available resources and drive
Header image: MWM Industrial Summit KC attendees listen in on discussions related to the Kansas City Industrial sector landscape. Image credit: Jacia Phillips | Arch Photo KC