Midwest City Scoop: Construction Starts in Kansas City

Kansas City construction starts expected to fall more than 13% this year

Non-residential work forecast to drop 24%, while residential and nonbuilding activity declines moderately.

City Grill

John Olander
Chief Operating Officer
Burns & McDonnell

“It’s no surprise that we’re seeing most utilities transition out of coal-fired generation,” Olander says. “I see goals that states and utilities have for 10 years, 20 years, even 50 years to move to where California is just getting to today with wind and solar. There will be plenty of opportunity in natural gas generation for at least the next 10 years to build new facilities. For the duration of an asset, most aren’t scared of a transition that’s going to happen in 30 or more years in the future. If you think about it as an evolution, it’s really not that scary.”

Firm in Focus

Burns & McDonnell
9400 Ward Parkway, Kansas City, Mo.
CEO: Ray Kowalik
Employees: 7,600
Founded: 1898
What’s new: Since 2011, Burns & McDonnell has managed Kansas City’s $4.5-billion Smart Sewer program. B&M implemented a project controls system to track the many projects in the program.