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JE Dunn Breaks Ground On New Headquarters - LEED Gold Building Will Grace Downtown

Kansas City, Missouri - After years of planning, design and development, JE Dunn is proceeding with their new 204,000 s.f. headquarters project at 11th and Locust in downtown. The new building and 780-space public parking structure will serve as a catalyst to the proposed East Village development, making the area more viable for a new proposed GSA building.

The JE Dunn Headquarters project began during the Mayor Kay Barnes era (1999 - 2007). The Dunn team credits current Mayor Funkhouser, the City Council, and City Manager Wayne Cauthen and his staff for completing the funding and acquisition agreement. By granting a supplemental TIF, the State of Missouri has played a vital role in the redevelopment of the east side.

JE Dunn is one of Kansas City's top 50 businesses, is the largest contractor in the metro area, and is ranked as the 5th largest building contractor in the country. The national company with its roots in downtown Kansas City has made its home in the East Village area for nearly 60 years. The Kansas City based contractor now has offices in 16 locations throughout the United States and boasts a field and office staff that exceeds 4,000.

In January, JE Dunn will break ground on the headquarters, which will house 520 employees. The $40.5 million, 5-story office building will include an adjacent $18.3 million parking structure to serve 780 vehicles, which will service both JE Dunn employees and the public. The design will complement the existing architecture of City Hall, the Federal Courthouse and the Department of Transportation Building. Opening onto the Ilus W. Davis Park south of 10th Street between Locust and Cherry streets, the exterior will be made of precast concrete and glass and will house a flexible office environment, state-of-the-art technology, a cafeteria and other public spaces. The designs were prepared by BNIM/360, an association of BNIM and 360 Architecture in Kansas City. JE Dunn is scheduled to move into their new offices in mid-2009.

JE Dunn has made a major commitment to green building practices, therefore, they are investing in their future by designing the first LEED Gold certified Corporate Headquarters project in Kansas City, Missouri. Since the company promotes "sustainable" building processes to clients, it seemed only fitting that the design and construction team create an environmentally sound building that it hopes will earn a LEED certification of gold. To achieve this certification, the U.S. Green Building Council must verify that several environmentally friendly measures have been met including energy efficiency and low construction site waste.

To achieve their LEED Gold certification, JE Dunn will recycle or divert at least 75% of all construction waste from the landfill; they will use energy alternatives to help curb gas usage; 10-20% of all materials used in the building will be extracted, processed, and manufactured within a 500-mile radius of Kansas City. The building will use 40% less water than the minimum standards required by the EPA.

The unique design and building materials will include: an exterior of pre-cast concrete will also be the interior face of the perimeter wall; no dry wall will be used for the interior perimeter walls. Wooden floors will be composed of urban lumber (trees that have already fallen down or from old buildings). All carpets used will have recycled content in the face fibers and backing. To enhance employee productivity, no office space will be more than 22.5 feet away from natural light. And, to conserve water, all irrigation for the site and property will be from collected rainwater or "gray water". Gray water is collected water from sinks and showers and used for landscaping irrigation.

The building will serve as a laboratory for the entire architectural, engineering, and construction community. JE Dunn will provide educational programs for those within the company and other industry professionals. Green power purchased from the grid will support the building. Hybrid cars will receive priority treatment with front row parking.