Heartland Region receives award for use of Kansas City area construction services

By Alison Kohler

Master of Ceremonies Dhomonique Ricks, GSA Heartland Regional Administrator Michael Copeland and JE Dunn’s Midwest Regional President Paul Neidlein pose for a photo after the presentation of the Construction User Award to GSA’s Heartland Region Oct. 30. Photo courtesy of National Institute of Construction Excellence - Kansas City.

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — An association that works to increase awareness of the potential construction career fields to young people, parents and educators awarded GSA’s Heartland Region with one of three prestigious awards Oct. 30.

The National Institute for Construction Excellence - Kansas City hosted more than 700 attendees at its 2018 Annual Awards Luncheon, which included a presentation of three awards and a keynote address by Nick Goldstein, vice president of legal and regulatory issues for the American Road & Transportation Builders Association in Washington, D.C.

GSA’s Heartland Regional Administrator Michael Copeland was presented NICE – KC’s Construction User award on the Heartland Region’s behalf for using construction services on large scale development projects in the Kansas City region, and in recognition of the positive impact of construction investment on the economic sustainability of the region.

The Heartland Region’s major construction projects in the Kansas City area in recent years accounted for an investment of over $1 billion. These include:

• A $600 million design and construction project of the 1.6 million square foot facility in South Kansas City, Missouri, which houses the U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration’s Kansas City National Security Campus.
• A $200 million environmental remediation, demolition and adaptive reuse of the former Bannister Federal Complex in South Kansas City.
• Over $280 million to completely renovate the Richard Bolling Federal Building in downtown Kansas City through a four-phase, 14-year capital renovation project.
• A project valued over $50 million just getting underway at 2306/2312 East Bannister Federal Building in Kansas City, Missouri.

GSA Regional Administrator Michael Copeland presents the NICE-KC 2018 Construction User Award to Acting PBS Regional Commissioner Kevin Rothmier Nov. 14. Photograph by Gretchen Jabben

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Each year, GSA’s Heartland Region spends 25-35 percent of its general repair and alterations budget on projects within the Kansas City metropolitan area. This means that anywhere from $3.5 to $7 million is infused into the local economy annually for repair and alterations projects. GSA spends another $25 million annually on construction for data center and national security projects in the Kansas City area through spending authority from tenant agencies.

“I was honored to accept the award on behalf of the countless PBS employees and past regional administrators who made direct contributions to the Heartland Region being a distinguished partner in the construction services industry,” Copeland said.

Copeland presented the award to Acting Public Buildings Service Regional Commissioner Kevin Rothmier and regional PBS employees on Nov. 14.

“I proudly accept this on behalf of all your great work,” Rothmier said to PBS employees gathered in the regional office.

Also read about how the Regional Public Buildings Service contracting staff awarded an operations and maintenance services contract to a service-disabled veteran-owned small business and a competitive task order contract to a qualified small business for construction work.