AIA Kansas City: The American Institute of Architects

The American Institute of Architects encourages the General Services Administration and the City of Kansas City, Missouri to engage in a meaningful selection process to determine the correct site and developer for the new GSA office complex.

While recent discussions have surrounded Riverfront and East Village sites, AIA Kansas City is most interested in a development that embodies a vibrant urban center through leveraging existing assets, maximizing the public realm, and providing the best overall value. This is best ensured through an open selection process whereby interested developers submit a proposed site and development for review and analysis, rather than by the City Council assigning the development rights to a specific site.

Leverage
The best site for the new GSA office complex will leverage existing assets in the region, whether they exist within the downtown loop (the Power & Light District and Sprint Center in addition to existing businesses, services, and housing options), or outside the loop (urban green spaces, access to the River Market, views of the Missouri River, and riverboat casinos). In addition, the site selection should take into account planned new assets, such as a regional transit system and light-rail route.

Public Space
The GSA, as a major public agency, should contribute to the urban fabric and public realm of its surroundings. Therefore, careful consideration should be given to a site that maximizes opportunity for the public to engage the building as a pedestrian, visitor, or employee. This requires an active street-level façade, engaging exterior open spaces, and view corridors that create a prominent presence on its immediate and surrounding site. It should be a building of the people, by the people, and for the people. Therefore, it should be sited where the people are.

Value
Similarly, cost estimates should focus on the best value of the proposal. While first costs may be driven by the need for structured parking, land acquisition, infrastructure, or hazardous material abatement, long-term costs are driven by infrastructure capacity and maintenance, among other things. In addition, cost estimates are not enough by themselves, and should include a revenue analysis to determine which sites have a more positive impact on existing city businesses and services, resulting in a higher tax base in the long run.

We believe the best solution to the above criteria will be provided by the marketplace, not by any single agency or developer agenda, and that the citizens of Kansas City – and United States taxpayers – deserve to see all available options before making the best decision.

The Board of Directors of the Kansas City Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, which represents over 860 local architects, serves as the Voice of the Architecture Profession.