the skinny News from the Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council Q2 2020
Message from the President As we ring in the New Year, it’s common for us to look with anticipation and excitement for the promises of the year ahead. We are fortunate at the Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council to have much to look forward to in 2020. Drake Development is moving at break-neck speed to complete the Streets of West Pryor at I-470 & Pryor Road. The company revealed two new tenant commitments in addition to the anchor grocery store, McKeever’s Market. These amenities will enhance Lee’s Summit’s top-notch leisure and entertainment offerings. The second quarter welcomed several businesses to their new home in Lee’s Summit. International Builders & Consultants, Inc. began operating out of its new headquarters near NE Independence Avenue and NE Colbern Road. IBC will add an estimated 45 high-quality jobs to the city. MAR Building Solutions moved into its new office building near SE Hamblen & SE Bailey Road. In addition to its own building, MAR Building Solutions plans to add several more buildings on the adjacent land. We are also eagerly awaiting word from several project bids that are in their final stages of approval. We are optimistic that we will have reason to celebrate soon regarding those projects. Thank you for your continued support in the LSEDC. If you have any questions, please reach out.
Yours Truly,
Q2 Events
National Manufacturing Day
Holiday Reception
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Developer’s Showcase
Table of Contents
Pg. 4 CEAH Expands Offerings in North Lee’s Summit Development Pg. 5 LSEDC: Linking Industry to Education Pg. 6 Drake Development Announces Tenants for Streets of West Pryor Pg. 8 MAR Building Solutions Opens New HQ Pg. 10 TMC- Lakewood Rings in the New Year with New Orthopaedic Center Pg. 12 Happy Hour Location Changing
Making Headlines
Our investors made headlines in the second quarter. Click the images below to learn more about their attention-grabbing work!
Welcome to Our New Investors! FSA Federal Leadership Partner
Drake Development Benefactor
HMN Architects Benefactor
Heritage Companies Benefactor
Heartland Electric Investor Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council | Page 3
CEAH Expands Offerings in North Lee’s Summit Development CEAH Realtors ended 2019 with a boom, a development boom that is. The company recently opened the second phase of the Chapel Ridge Townhomes located near I-470 and Woods Chapel Road. The rental townhomes offer two and threebedroom floor plans ranging from 1,200-1,680 square feet. But the multifamily expansion is not the only project keeping the company busy. “As far as north Lee’s Summit, we’ve done a big chunk of it,” said CEAH owner Mike Atcheson. Atcheson’s team is currently working on a new 50,000 sf building of which Lee’s Summit tech company Lynxspring will occupy 25,000 sf. CEAH also recently completed construction on a new medical imaging building for a company that is expanding from the Kansas side. In addition, the Chapel Ridge Business Park developed by CEAH is adding to the restaurant and services available in the north part of Lee’s Summit with the addition of a new Taco Bell, Scooters coffee, dental office and Goddard Montessori School. Atcheson has been developing the 260-acre business park between Woods Chapel & Strother for the past 20 years. His company spans the gamut
of development by building, selling and managing commercial and residential real estate.
Atcheson. “My view point starts with if I were in their shoes and I lived right there, what would I want?”
“We develop everything from retail, commercial, industrial to medical office, warehouse, flex warehouse to multifamily single family and everything in between. We do it all,” said Atcheson.
After more than two decades, Atcheson has no plans of slowing down. This past fall his team re-evaluated and modified the development plan for the residential portion of the development north of Woods Chapel. There are also plans for a third phase of the Chapel Ridge Townhomes.
The majority of Atcheson’s buildings were constructed without tenants lined up. While there were a few delays around the time of the recession, Atcheson said for the most part, CEAH has not struggled to find occupants for its buildings. The development of the area was partially aided by TIFs, but Atcheson said these TIF’s were paid off early. The only remaining incentive is a TDD set to expire next year. Atcheson said he has always made an effort to be a responsible developer and neighbor to property surrounding his development. He said part of that was being proactive about gaining community feedback. “You don’t want a public hearing to be the first time some of these people have seen what’s going on next to them,” said
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“Our belief, based on what we were seeing in the market, is there are a lot of people that don’t want to own a home, yet they want somewhere nice to live; they want somewhere they feel safe,” Atcheson said. Like the previous phases, the new townhomes will offer luxury finishings, an attached garage and curbside trash service. The new phase will bring 40 additional townhomes. Construction will begin in spring of 2020.
LSEDC: Linking Industry to Education
In November, a group of students from Lee’s Summit North High School learned how they could make more than $80,000 a year after high school without incurring student loan debt. STL-KC Carpenters Regional Council hosted nearly 20 students to teach them about the union’s apprenticeship program. Tina Chace, the Director of Business Development for the Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council, helped arrange the meeting. “Businesses across all industries are in fierce competition for highly-trained and skilled talent. And they will pay to get it,” Chace said. “It’s important that students understand there are many pathways to financial success and union training programs are a great option.” The four-year union apprenticeship prepares students for careers as carpenters, lathers or pile-drivers. Students work
for a union-approved contractor, who pays them for their work at the union base rate of $19/hour. The work is done under the guidance of a journeyman, who teaches the student the skills of the trade. In addition to the on-the-job training, students are also required to attend a total of four weeks of class each year. By the end of the training program, graduates have earned a journeyman title, guaranteeing an hourly wage of $39.58. “If you want to work hard, learn a skilled craft and make some good money along the way, there are career paths available to you,” said the program’s lead instructor, Kevin Wilcoxon. Michael Hilbert is the head of the Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) program at Lee’s Summit North. Hilbert said many of his students, especially seniors, are looking for opportunities immediately after graduation.
“The students really enjoyed the event. They were excited to hear about the job opportunities and they were impressed with the training they could receive at this facility.” Senior Anna Day attended the tour. She said she is not sure what career she wants to pursue after high school, but would consider carpentry. “It would be new and neat to at least give it a try,” Day said. “Their program is free and it pays good money with great health benefits.” Wilcoxon warned students that the program was rigorous, but he believes it’s worth it. “You are going to do something to make a living, so why not choose a path that will provide a good wage, insurance for you and your family and a pension that will be substantial enough that you will not need a part time job?”
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New Restaurant Announcements Bring Million-Dollar Bacon, Succulent Steak In November, Drake Development gave LSEDC investors a sneak peek at some of the first tenants to commit to the Streets of West Pryor Development, which is currently under construction near I-470 & Pryor Road. President Matt Pennington revealed that Firebirds Wood Fired Grill and First Watch would be among the restaurant tenants at the mixed-use development. The Streets of West Pryor location will be the first franchise in Lee’s Summit for both restaurants. Pennington said the restaurants are representative of the caliber of businesses that will be part of the development. “Our whole team is being very selective about what goes in. This development, to me is kind of the trend-setter of Lee’s Summit.” Firebirds Wood Fired Grill is based out of Charlotte, North Carolina. It offers chef-curated American fare out of its 100% from-scratch kitchen. The restaurant specializes in hand-cut steaks, sustainable seafood and craft cocktails. Popular menu items include a 21-day aged steak and an array of seasonal selections. Pennington said Firebirds focuses on quality when expanding its franchise. “There’s only 3 locations opening in the whole country in 2020 - we’re one of them. So you can imagine what goes into that,” Pennington said. As far as the new breakfast option, First Watch is based out of University Park, Florida. The restaurant has been serving up fresh, made-to-order breakfast and lunch since 1983. Among the many tempting menu items is its million-dollar bacon, which is baked with brown sugar, black pepper, cayenne and drizzled with maple syrup. Pennington said he is excited to welcome both of the restaurant tenants to the Streets of West Pryor. “It’s not easy to get users like this,” said Pennington. “[It’s] A pretty special addition.” More tenant announcements are set to come soon, but Pennington stressed that Drake is not in a rush to fill leases. “We’re just taking our time making sure it’s the exact right users rather than just filling it up,” said Pennington. The Streets of West Pryor began construction in the Spring of 2019. The 70-acre mixed use development will feature apartments, senior living, hotel, McKeever’s Market grocery store and connectability to nearby Lowenstein Park. The first phase of Streets of West Pryor is on track to open in 2020.
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MAR Building Solutions Opens New HQ
After building hundreds of buildings for customers, MAR Building Solutions’ newest project was one of its own. The company recently opened a new 8,650 square-foot building near SE Hamblen & SE Bailey Road. For owner Chad Anderson, MAR Building Solutions is the result of hard work and a close friendship. After graduating from Lee’s Summit North in 2003, Chad went through a sheet metal union apprenticeship and began work for the architectural sheet metal company, A. Zahner. His work at the company included roof work for the Kauffman Performing Arts Center and Kauffman Stadium’s Crown Vision. “It’s just the most abstract stuff you can make, with nothing square or straight” said Chad. Then opportunity came knocking with an old family
friend whom Chad had known since he was a child, named Addy Martin. Chad said he first met Addy when he was around 8-yearsold. Addy, the owner of MAR Enterprises, had put up buildings for Chad’s father, as well as many other buildings throughout the community. “He was out on the bobcat and I was just a little kid out running around the job site,” Chad said. In 2014 Chad, who was already installing overhead doors for Martin, approached him about the possibility of taking on more responsibility in the business. Addy signed over part of his Butler Building dealership to Chad and that is when MAR Building Solutions was created. That allowed the continuation for the MAR name in the construction industry. Upon Addy’s death in 2016, work and contracts were moved from
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MAR Enterprises to MAR Building Solutions. “There’s no money that changed hands. He’s just a good family friend that helped me start a business and that’s all it was. I kept his name and his legacy to keep going,” said Chad. MAR Building Solutions now employs 12 full-time employees who build commercial industrial, manufacturing and office/warehouse buildings all over the region. Projects span from Manhattan, KS to Odessa, MO. The team also recently completed a 25,000 square-foot building in St. Joe for Yellow Frog Graphics, a 20,000 square-foot building in Grandview, MO for PM Contracting, and an 8,000 square-foot building for Higdon Construction in Lee’s Summit. Chad says he prefers to keep most of his work close to home.
“I like to sleep in my own bed, and I think the guys do too,” Chad said. In addition to the lower price point of pre-engineered buildings and the speed of production, Chad said his buildings provide higher Rvalues, which can greatly reduce the total cost of ownership. While metal buildings are the bread and butter of MAR Building Solutions, the company also specializes in commercial finish. Their portfolio includes roof and interior remodel work for Mid-
States Distributing. In 2017, imminent domain sent Chad searching for a new location for his business. He ended up securing the land near SE Hamblen & SE Bailey, along with 100 percent tax abatement for five years through LCRA. “I wanted to stay in Lee’s Summit because that’s home.” Chad moved into the new building in November 2019. The metal building features insulated metal panels, concrete mezzanine, polished concrete floors, wood paneled
walls and a stone façade-features that may be surprising to some. “You can go put up a metal building and have it be fancy too,” said Chad. In February of 2018, Chad brought on Kurt Krasick as a partner. He is a licensed Engineer who previously worked at Burger and Brown Engineering and Olsson and Associates. MAR Building Solutions plans to build at least two more buildings on the land adjacent to its new building.
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TMC Lakewood Rings in the New Year with New Technology, Certifications 2020 is starting off strong for Truman Medical Center Lakewood after major improvements made to the hospital’s Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine department. In 2019, the hospital celebrated the opening of a new, state-ofthe-art $4.5 million center that offers both services under one roof. It also achieved industry accolades that sets it apart from its competitors. “Over the past year, we have added new expertise to the orthopaedic team, expanded the services available to orthopaedic patients, and invested in the newest medical technology to care for those patients,” stated Lynette M. Wheeler, Chief Operating Officer of TMC Lakewood. “Much like other investments made here, this expansion will assure that our patients have access to the highest quality of care, and best outcomes in a community hospital close to home. “ The new 8,000 square-foot addition was designed with input from staff and physicians to make the space more functional and comfortable for patients. In addition to combining orthopaedic and sports medicine services, the
Lakewood Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Center also streamlines the patient experience and eliminates the need for patients to travel to a different facility for an MRI before treatment. The center added 15 exam rooms dedicated to orthopaedics, as well as two casting rooms. In order to improve patient-experience, the orthopaedic exam rooms were designed to be larger and more comfortable. TMC-Lakewood also added new technology to its orthopaedic care unit. The state-of-the art Magnetom Aera by Siemen’s offers Tesla-strength magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. The new machine cuts scan times up to 40 percent to make patients more comfortable. It also produces higher-quality images to maximize the benefit to physicians. 2019 was a year of industry milestones at TMC-Lakewood. The hospital achieved the Joint Commisisons’ Gold Seal for Advanced Certification for total joint replacement in hips and knees. It also received certification for total joint replacements in shoulders.
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This certification sets the bar for quality and safety, giving patients shorter hospital stays and reduced recovery times. “Patients can trust that our joint replacement programs offer improved pain management, quicker recoveries and high levels of satisfaction with the physician and staff interactions equaling greater value for the patient,” said Thomas J. McCormack, M.D., MHCDS.
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2019-20 Board Members Chip Moxley Chairman Tim Paulson Vice Chair Todd Haynes Secretary Larry Hillier Treasurer Machelle Riffe Past Chair Bill Baird Mayor Steve Arbo City Manager
Happy Hour is Moving!
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