On April 17, 2024, KCIC held its annual Brick-by-Brick Awards at Boulevard Brewing Company. The awards recognize businesses that have made outstanding contributions to the economic strength of the industrial core of Kansas City. These businesses invest in and strengthen Kansas City’s industrial districts, and beyond.
This year, we recognized six businesses and organizations based on the key principles of the Brick-by-Brick awards: capital improvements, job creation, improved infrastructure and relocation or expansion in one of the city’s industrial areas.
Congratulations to our 2024 Brick by Brick Awards Winners for making Kansas City a better place to work and succeed:
Bally’s Kansas City
This past year, Bally’s Kansas City made the largest investment to their property since their acquisition in 2020 — a $40M expansion and renovation to the existing casino.
This project included refreshing the old “riverboat” with a new exoskeleton and tension fabric panels, and a 40,000 square foot commercial center expansion that now houses Chickie’s & Pete’s Crabhouse and Sports Bar. In addition to turning the old riverboat into a breathtaking, modern facility, Bally’s Kansas City created 700 new jobs, increasing their capacity to 900 employees.
Hampel Oil
Hampel Oil set their sights on moving their operations from Wichita, Kansas to Kansas City, Missouri. In their search for a new location, they chose to purchase an older property to rehab in the Northeast as opposed to building a brand-new facility.
Their new space sits on five acres and when complete, will be 34,400 square feet. Hampel Oil has demonstrated the commitment and patience it takes to revitalize an aging building in an older industrial area.
Americold Realty Trust
In 2024, Americold Realty Trust established a strategic collaboration with Canadian Pacific Kansas City to optimize temperature-controlled logistics across North America.
Americold is a global leader in temperature-controlled logistics real estate and value-added services. A facility in Kansas City will help connect key U.S. markets in the Midwest and Mexico. Americold will invest $127 million in a 335,000 square foot facility in Kansas City, Missouri and plans to create nearly 190 new jobs in the region.
Cathcart Rail
Over the next several years, Cathcart Rail will undergo a $10M+, two-phase capital investment to renovate and expand their existing facility near the Missouri River Terminal. This marks a strategic move for Cathcart, as they are an integral part of the freight logistics network in Kansas City.
Expansion efforts will allow Cathcart to grow its repair operations, rail services and more. The company also plans to create more than 20 new jobs with an average wage of $54,000.
KC Soccer Dome
Located in the NEIA, KC Soccer Dome, recently completed facility improvements and expansion. The Dome was the first indoor soccer facility in the Greater Kansas City Metropolitan area and boasts the city’s only Major Arena Soccer League-sized field.
It features one of the largest indoor playing spaces in the area and is equipped with the newest FIFA Certified Sprint Turf. The Dome’s expansion made strides towards efficiency by installing two 24-foot HVLS fans and included a second facility designed by Tevis Architects.
PortKC
PortKC has been a longtime positive force for redevelopment in some of Kansas City’s toughest areas. They identified a need for improvements at the Governor Mike Parson Port and retained TranSystems to design the renovations which included grading, drainage and paving.
Strong freight movement capabilities at this port help industrial businesses all over Kansas City maintain competitive shipping costs for raw materials coming in and bulk product going out. These updates will allow better movement of equipment and more efficient loading and unloading of rail cars and river barges. The construction was accomplished through an innovative accelerated procurement process and cost approximately $850,000.
Thank you to all of our sponsors and board members for helping to make this awards program possible again this year.