From the Ground Up: BKD LLP headquarters

Owner/developer: Opus Northwest LLC

General contractor: Opus Northwest Construction LLC

Architect: Opus Architects & Engineers Inc. (Minneapolis) and Gastinger Walker Harden Architects (Kansas City)

Engineers: Great River Engineering Inc., civil; Opus Architects & Engineers Inc., structural; Metro Air Conditioning Co. (Kansas City), mechanical; Faith Technologies Inc., (Lenexa, Kan.), electrical; and Lankford & Associates Consulting Engineers Inc. (Kansas City), plumbing

Size: 109,000 square feet

Estimated cost: $21.5 million

Lender: None; funded through a city of Springfield industrial development bond

Estimated completion date: May 31

Project description: Real estate development company Opus Northwest LLC is building a four-story structure that will serve as the corporate headquarters for accounting firm BKD LLP. Opus will lease the second, third and fourth floors to BKD, which will employ about 325. The first floor will be leased to tenants on short-term leases. The project will pursue Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver certification and features plumbing fixtures that use less water, energy-efficient heating and air conditioning systems, water-efficient landscaping and a white roof designed to reflect sunlight and reduce urban heat.

Compiled by Tanja Kern. Springfield Business Journal brings you new projects each week. Send project info by fax to (417) 799-0603 or by e-mail to sbj@sbj.net.