KANSAS CITY, Mo. - After weeks of deliberation, City Council voted to accept Edgemoor's proposal for a new KCI terminal.
The vote, which was 10-2 in favor, happened at the council's legislative session on Thursday. Mayor Pro Tem Scott Wagner was out of town for the vote.
"It's time to come together, move forward, approve the new terminal so it can create jobs, economic development, the workforce of the future....and bring tremendous value here to Kansas City," Edgemoor Managing Director Geoffrey Stricker said right after the vote.
The dissenting votes came from councilmen Scott Taylor and Lee Barnes, who both made their opinions known at a joint committee meeting earlier in the day.
Taylor said he still wants Burns & McDonnell to win the contract, while Barnes objected to last-minute adjustments to Edgemoor's community benefit programs.
"This is about process, and this is about doing the right thing, and the right thing was not to necessarily give them an opportunity to come back to the well and do what other proposers said they were going to do," Barnes told 41 Action News.
During the committee meeting, the Edgemoor Real Estate & Infrastructure-led team, which includes local Clarkson Construction, presented its plans again to council members.
The committee passed an ordinance that went to the full city council, which accepted the selection committee's recommended bidder.
The city will now enter into negotiations with the Edgemoor team, which is confident a deal can be made.
"I'm very proud to say that every deal we've been awarded, we've been able to negotiate a contract and close with our client," Stricker said.
Edgemoor said it will have a terminal design to present to the public by early October. While details have not yet been finalized, architect SOM mentioned the design will draw on 18th & Vine, jazz and other cultural aspects of Kansas City. Preliminary plans also include a "21st-century fountain," which SOM said will be the centerpiece of the terminal.
Burns & McDonnell sent 41 Action News the following statement regarding the KCI decision.
"We recognize this has been a difficult journey for all involved – including the people of Kansas City. Throughout this process, Burns & McDonnell has been committed to doing what we have done for 119 years - stand up for what is right and lawful. We still strongly believe we have the most complete, comprehensive proposal for a new KCI and our friends and neighbors in Kansas City. That said, we respect the process and will continue to support any opportunity to do what is best for Kansas City."
