2019 Capstone Awards: Multifamily — Two Light Luxury Apartments
Players: The Cordish Cos., developer and broker; Hord Coplan Macht Inc., architect; Blum Consulting Engineers Inc., engineer; JE Dunn Construction, general contractor
Description: Two Light is the second of potentially four luxury high-rise apartment complexes to be developed in Downtown by Baltimore-based Cordish. One Light, the company’s first downtown apartment building, opened in 2015. The 24-story Two Light adds housing for more than 400 people.
Features: The complex includes one- and two-bedroom and penthouse apartments with floor-to-ceiling windows, open floor plans, community access and an infinity pool. A two-level co-working space will be available, and a building concierge and sommelier are on site. There is also a seven-level, 440-car parking garage. Local artists were commissioned to create the artwork for Two Light’s common areas.
Community impact: Paul Neidlein, president of JE Dunn’s Midwest region, was enthusiastic about Two Light’s contribution to Downtown’s growth.
“The biggest piece of it is the continuation of the momentum Kansas City has seen Downtown,” he said. “So much of the improvement has been in bringing more permanent residents Downtown.”
Challenges: Two Light workers had to navigate roads on three sides of the site, pedestrians, downtown events and the hustle and bustle of the Kansas City Power & Light District.
“There are tens of thousands of people walking around and hundreds of people coming to work on the job site,” Neidlein said.
Finding parking for workers and keeping the site safe and running efficiently presented a challenge.
Unique features: The site has mixed-used space, including a co-working space that is still in development. Eventually, it will be leased to small businesses to drive entrepreneurship. There will be offices and other spaces such as a conference room and desks available.
“The goal is truly to make a community out of it,” Neidlein said.
Location: 1401 Walnut St., Kansas City
Size: 506,096 square feet
Value: $92.6 million