A recent trip to Kansas City, MO, brought into focus the latest developments on the Second + Delaware multi-family project led by Arnold Development Group that was introduced to NRMCA members at last fall’s ConcreteWorks event in San Antonio. The excavation is nearly complete and the footings are being placed. The project – a landmark urban redevelopment effort that will bring hundreds of new residents to Kansas City’s up and coming River District – is also the largest Passive House structure in the United States with more than 280 units of affordable and market rate housing. Passive House is a German energy efficiency standard that requires a building to meet extremely stringent building performance standards. This is where concrete truly shines: the completed building will save residents an estimated 80% on their energy bills in large part because of concrete’s contributions to the building.

The entire building will be enclosed by 10 inches of ready mixed concrete comprising its exterior walls. The concrete – to be supplied by Ash Grove Materials Corporation and Fordyce Concrete – will surround six inches of foam insulation and create a building that was designed to last hundreds of years. The exposed concrete floors and interior face of the exterior walls help to create the ultra-cool living spaces that millenials and others clamor for.

Conversations with a number of project team members highlighted how they see this project shaping the future of multi-family development in the United States and beyond. The project’s investor left little doubt that investors in multi-family development arena are keeping a close eye on the Second + Delaware project. He explained concrete’s pivotal role in safeguarding the investment for the long term and stressed they will build these types of projects once developers understand that there are investment dollars available.

Jonathan Arnold, President and CEO of Kansas City’s Arnold Development Group believes that combining concrete’s intrinsic value with forward-thinking financing and project delivery models’ will provide a template to meet the enormous housing production needs we can expect to face in the years ahead in this country.