OVERLAND PARK, KAN. — Black & Veatch is following up on the $60 million purchase of its new Overland Park headquarters by announcing plans to renovate the new facility. The highlight of the improvements is that the engineering and construction firm will pursue LEED-Gold certification for the project. Building upgrades include new HVAC and energy management systems, a rainwater collection system, a solar courtyard and canopy, a bio garden and an innovation pavilion. Black & Veatch also has negotiated improved zoning density for the property, which will allow the 600,000-square-foot building to be expanded by up to 250,000 square feet.
Black & Veatch first acquired the building, which is located at 11401 Lamar Ave., in July in a deal that was brokered by Studley. The company had been leasing the building from Equity Group Investments for the previous 12 years. Black & Veatch had considered building a new campus during its search for a new headquarters, but decided that purchasing and renovating the existing building would be the most environmentally sound option.
In a statement that was released at the time of the purchase, Howard Withey, chief administrative officer for Black & Veatch, said, “We are delighted to be able to remain in, and now actually own, our worldwide headquarters building. This purchase allows us to implement the same type of innovative and sustainable solutions that we provide for our clients, and with future expansion capability, we will be able to accommodate long-term growth.”
The construction timetable and details regarding the project were still being finalized as of press time and could not be released.
— Coleman Wood