The Imporve I-70 KC Project is underway and set to bolster development opportunities

Work has started on the Improve I-70 KC project, a $237 million initiative aimed at reshaping a heavily traveled corridor through the city. The improvements are expected to ease congestion, enhance freight mobility, and create ripple effects across Kansas City’s commercial real estate market.

The Missouri Department of Transportation, in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration, is leading the design-build project. Construction will stretch between The Paseo Boulevard and the U.S. 40/31st Street interchange and continue through spring 2028. Plans include adding an additional eastbound lane, replacing 15 bridges, rehabilitating seven others, and realigning multiple interchanges to improve safety and traffic capacity.

Because I-70 serves as a key freight artery, industry observers note that more reliable travel will increase the appeal of warehouse, logistics, and industrial properties near the corridor. Retail and mixed-use developers are also watching the project closely, as upgraded interchanges and pedestrian improvements could spark redevelopment and attract new investment.

The project will be carried out by Clarkson-Radmacher Joint Venture, which was awarded the design-build contract in 2024. It is part of a larger statewide program to modernize nearly 200 miles of I-70 by 2030, underscoring Missouri’s long-term commitment to infrastructure and economic growth.

For commercial real estate professionals, the construction may bring short-term challenges, but the long-term outlook is widely seen as positive. Improved access, stronger freight efficiency, and renewed infrastructure are expected to drive property value gains and open doors for new development along the corridor. As Kansas City positions itself for continued growth, the I-70 project stands as both a transportation upgrade and an investment in the region’s commercial future.

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Header image: Aerial view of the I-70 and I-435 interchange on the east side of Kansas City, Mo. Image | MODot

Biopharma tenant completes occupancy at Summit Technology Campus

CBRE and US Asset Services have secured the last remaining office lease in the Summit Technology Campus building at 800 Chipman Road in Lee’s Summit, Mo.

Viracor Eurofins, a clinical diagnostic and biopharma company, plans to utilize the 17,129-SF space as an expansion of their clinical research and development lab-testing facility. The lease brings the 500,000-SF building to full occupancy.

Travis Gage, senior associate at CBRE, and Michael Lanning, senior managing principal at US Asset Services, are the exclusive marketing agents working on behalf of the property’s owner, KC Summit Technology LLC.

“Office leasing activity during the third quarter of 2020 was dominated by renewal activity in the Kansas City market. Tenants are drawn to the property’s proximity to main thoroughfares, private entrances, large efficient floor plates, on-site management as well as security and signage opportunities,” said Gage.

Other leases and existing tenancies that contributed to the building's full occupancy include Bluebird Communications, CVS/Caremark, Quest Diagnostics, St. Luke’s and GSA, who executed a 20-year lease extension of 316,318 SF of office space in the building - the largest office lease completed in the Kansas City market in 2020. The GSA office houses the U.S. government agency of citizenship and immigration services.

The 500,000-SF campus provides ample parking with immediate highway access to I-470 and Hwy 50. The property is conveniently located near Summit Fair and Summit Woods retail centers and over 60 restaurants.