BKD breaks ground for $21M headquarters

Speakers at the ceremony and brunch included Springfield Mayor Pro Tem Gary Deaver, Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce President Jim Anderson and BKD CEO Neal Spencer.

When the building opens in fourth-quarter 2009, the Springfield-based accounting firm will vacate its seven floors of leased space in Hammons Tower and move across the street to the new offices at the corner of St. Louis Street and John Q. Hammons Parkway. The new site is on a parking lot at University Plaza Hotel.

Developer Opus Northwest is building the four-story, 109,000-square-foot structure. It will house about 325 BKD employees on the top three floors and leasable office space on the first floor, according to a news release.

The building is designed to include environmentally friendly features, such as water-efficient plumbing fixtures, energy-efficient heating and air-conditioning systems, water-efficient landscaping and a white roof to reduce urban heat. Opus intends to pursue Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver certification, the release said.

In July, City Council approved $21.5 million in industrial development bonds for the BKD project. The city will own the property, and Opus will buy the bonds and lease the space to BKD. The city will abate 100 percent of the property tax on land improvements for the first 10 years and 50 percent for the next 15 years, and that 50 percent would rise to 75 percent if LEED Silver certification is achieved.

BKD is a national firm with 30 locations in 14 states. The company has net revenues of $350 million, making it one of the 10 largest CPA and advisory firms in the country, according to the release.

This story originally appeared in SBJ’s Sept. 18 free e-news Daily Update. Click here to register.[[In-content Ad]]