Grand Place Slated to Be First WELL-Certified Project in Kansas City, Missouri

KANSAS CITY, MO. — Grand Place is slated to be the first WELL-certified project in Kansas City. Similar to how the LEED building rating system measures sustainability and energy efficiency, the WELL standard measures a building’s health and wellness performance for its occupants. 3D Development, the developer of Grand Place, is also seeking LEED certification for the project, which involves the redevelopment of the former headquarters for The Kansas City Star newspaper. Building systems will be actively monitored for WELL standards. A third-party company will test and analyze the building’s air quality. The entire building will be equipped with a water filtration system. Upon completion, Grand Place will include 300,000 square feet of office space and a European-style market and grocery store. Floor plates will range from 5,000 to 40,000 square feet. The International WELL Building Institute, based in New York City, administers the WELL standard, which launched in October 2014.