Black & Veatch completes purchase of world HQ building - Business First of Columbus:

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After considering about 40 alternates area sites duringa two-year real estate Black & Veatch said March 23 that it woulrd keep its growing headquarters operatioh at 11401 Lamar Ave., which it has occupiedc since its original construction in 1976. Blackk & Veatch bought the which was expandedto 600,000 squarw feet in 1996 and is the largest office building in Kansas, from Chicago-basedd .
A consortium of local banks led by financedthe transaction, which eventually is expected to result in more than 1,0090 new jobs for Overland The area’s 12th-largest private-sector employer, Black & Veatch employsz 3,800 at five area offices, includiny more than 2,300 at the Lamar Avenue After the building is expanded, by roughluy 2015, it will accommodate a work forced of more than 3,400. “Black & Veatch’s decisiobn to expand in Kansas is a testament toour state’s strong business climate,” Gov. Mark Parkinson said in a Thursdauy release. “Kansas is known for its safe communities, greag schools and highly educatedfwork force.
We’re so glad to have a global leader likeBlack & Veatch make Kansase the home of its worldr headquarters.” To retain Black & Veatch, Kansasd offered an impact grant worth $25 million for trainingg and capital investment. The moneyu will come from withholding taxes paid by employeesw atthe headquarters. Overland Park committexd to a 10-year, 75 percent property tax abatement — the largestf percentage abated incity “The combined support of the state of Kansasz and the city of Overland Park were instrumental in reaching this milestone,” Len Rodman, Blaclk & Veatch CEO, said in the “With the completion of this purchase, we can now begin to implement at our world headquarters the same types of innovatived and sustainable solutions we provide every day for our The new world headquarters will includ e a solar courtyard, solar canopy, bio gardenm and innovation pavilion.
It also will have extensiv work space, common area, facility and energy-management upgrades; landscaping enhancements; and rainwater-reuse systems and stormwaterr run-off management. When completed, the building will be certified via the Leadership in Energy andEnvironmentaol Design, or LEED, program of the . “Bringing thesed innovative and futuristic enhancementz to an older facility tomeet tomorrow’s design standards present a large technical challenge, but is the most sustainabl solution for the area,” Rodman said in the “It’s a challenge our professionals relish and take tremendousz pride in.
” The company has piloted many of the potentialo design concepts at its more than 100 global offices and will draw on its LEED-certifiecd experts and architecture, engineering and constructionm talent for the headquarters expansion project. Black & Veatch rankw No. 1 on the Kansas City Business Journal ’ss list of area engineering The $3.2 billion company is one of the world’sd largest engineering, consulting and constructioh firms.