Burns & McDonnell Headquarters Awarded LEED Certification; Briarcliff Development & Riverside City Break Ground on Infrastructure Project for 260-acre Horizons Development

By Gabriel Circiog, Associate Editor

The Burns & McDonnell headquarters renovation has garnered LEED Silver certification for Existing Buildings, Operations and Maintenance (LEED O&M) by the U.S. Green Building Council. For the new construction and renovations at the 9400/9300 Ward Parkway world headquarters, Burns & McDonnell is pursuing a separate LEED certification.

The award is the first published LEED O&M certification in Kansas City and is the result of an ongoing effort that started in 2008. The Ward Parkway complex currently has an Energy Star rating of 96 out of 100.

Over in Riverside, The Kansas City Star reports Briarcliff Development and the city will break ground on a $12 million infrastructure project on the planned 260-acre Horizons commercial, industrial and retail park.

The site located at Interstate 635 and Missouri 9 is considered to have a unique advantage due to the fact that it is close to interstate highways, the Kansas City International Airport and downtown Kansas City. Nathaniel Hagedorn, president of Briarcliff Development, said that he is pleased with the response received from potential tenants. He also announced that the initial plans envision 1.1 million square feet of office space and 1.7 million square feet of industrial space.

The city estimates the development will bring $300 million in private investment and over 6,000 corporate, retail and industrial jobs in the next 20 years. The city is receiving financial support for this project from Argosy Casino.