WICHITA KAN. — Koch Industries Inc., which owns a diverse group of companies that specialize in everything from chemicals to biofuels to forest and consumer products, will expand its Wichita campus by adding a new 210,000-square-foot office building. The three-story structure will also include a lower level and have the capacity to accommodate 745 employees, according to the company.
Koch companies employ more than 2,800 people in Wichita, and that number is expected to significantly increase. Koch companies currently have more than 150 unfilled jobs in Wichita.
The freestanding building, which will connect to other buildings on the campus via walkways and tunnels, is the first phase of a long-term master plan to address potential future growth. Construction of the new building will begin in the fall of 2013 with completion slated for mid-2015.
In addition to office space, the new building will include a satellite Café Koch and training space. The campus is located at 37th Street North between Oliver and Hillside streets.
Construction of the three-story office building will begin in the fall of 2013.
The possible expansion of Koch’s campus was announced in May of this year when the company said it was outgrowing its Wichita headquarters, which currently spans approximately 1 million square feet. In the past year, Koch has undertaken two projects to design and build out existing, underutilized space on its campus. With more growth on the horizon, the decision was made to move forward with the Wichita campus expansion.
“We have more than a dozen Koch companies with a presence here in Wichita,” says Dave Robertson, president and COO of privately held Koch Industries. “Our growth has come about as a result of exciting innovations of all kinds. Our goal is to continue this rate of innovation as well as the pursuit of other opportunities and acquisitions. The result of all this is that Koch will create new jobs in Wichita.”
To accommodate the new building along with additional parking and possible future growth, Koch is working with the City of Wichita on plans to reroute 37th Street North about one-quarter mile north of its present location. The current intersections at Oliver and Hillside will remain the same. Cost for the rerouting would be fully paid for by Koch.
Howard + Helmer architecture is the architect for the expansion project. Professional Engineering Consultants (PEC) is the project engineer. Both are local firms.
Howard + Helmer and PEC recently collaborated on the engineering and redesign of Café Koch, which reopened in October. The new café, which serves breakfast and lunch, has seating for 520 guests.
Once the building is completed, the company expects to add 745 jobs in Wichita, Koch spokeswoman Melissa Cohlmia told The Wichita Eagle, the largest newspaper in Kansas.
— Matt Valley