Kansas City, MO (September 2009) – The Builders’ Association, a nonprofit organization with over 1,000 member companies in the commercial construction industry, and its sister organization, the Kansas City Chapter, Associated General Contractors of America, have formally opened their new Administrative Offices at 720 Oak Street in downtown, Kansas City, Missouri.
The Ribbon-Cutting ceremony was held on September 22 with the participation of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. Cutting the ribbon were Don Greenwell, President of The Builders’ Association and Executive Director of the Kansas City Chapter, AGC; James O. Delaney, Chairman of The Builders’ Association and Vice President of Operations for Turner Construction Company; and W. Craig Simon, P.E., President of the Kansas City Chapter, AGC and President/CEO of Professional
Contractors and Engineers, Inc. of Columbia, Missouri.
The high-profile location is just northwest of the Charles Evans Whittaker U.S. Courthouse. It is also at the opposite end of the Heart of America Bridge from the Builders’ Association Education and Training Center in North Kansas City.
“The newly-renovated building offers significant advantages for our members,” said Don Greenwell. “When The Builders’ Association moved to 39th Street in midtown more than 40 years ago, we had 12 people on staff in Kansas City. Today, that number has almost doubled to provide greatly-expanded services to far more members. While satisfying critical space needs for our staff, 720 Oak also provides needed meeting space and a dedicated space for Safety and Management training. Our
Plan Room is now on the main level. You can access the building from the north loop without a single traffic light. Our members now have twice as many free parking spaces as before.”
A 22,000 square foot, three-story building, 720 Oak opened as Research Downtown Health Care Center in 1982. During renovations, which began in 2008, the interior was completely demolished, except for the lower level. A.L. Huber general contractor was the Construction Manager; The Office of Kenneth O. von Achen Chartered Architects was the Architect of Record; and James L. “Skip” Hutton, Jr., was the Owner’s Representative. They worked with a team of Builders’ Association
subcontractors to deliver the project on time and on budget.
For The Builders’ Association, the move represents a return to its downtown roots. The Association has been located downtown throughout its 122-year history, with the exception of its most recent location in midtown Kansas City, Missouri, where it had been since 1966. The Builders’ Association was founded as the Master Builders’ and Traders’ Exchange in 1887. The headquarters they occupied in 1890 is located at 6th and Central, within walking distance to the
west of 720 Oak, and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Builders’ Association represents general contractor, subcontractor, and supplier members engaged in the commercial, industrial, and municipal utility construction industry throughout most of Missouri and northeastern Kansas. In addition to its Administrative Offices in Kansas City, the Association has offices and plan rooms in Jefferson City, Columbia, and Springfield, as well as their Education and Training Center in North Kansas City.
