FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date 10/30/03

Contact: Matt Derrick
(816) 942-8800, ext. 213

Russian Construction Professionals Tour
Downtown Kansas City Housing Projects

A delegation of construction professionals from Russia met with Kansas City, Mo., Mayor Kay Barnes and took a tour of downtown housing and loft projects this week as part of an initiative designed to provide the Russian business owners and entrepreneurs with training and expert advice in American construction practices and techniques from their industry peers.

The group toured several Downtown Kansas City residential loft projects, including the newly opened Library Lofts in the former Board of Trade Building, to see how builders and developers here have revitalized urban neighborhoods. Mayor Barnes addressed the delegation and presented keys to the city to the Russian construction professionals.

“This is an exciting opportunity to share the lessons we have learned while bringing new residents to Downtown Kansas City,” Mayor Barnes said. “It is an honor to show how local, state and federal government and private industry have worked together to revitalize our urban core.”

The tour of downtown housing highlighted both the differences and similarities among construction practices in the United States and Russia. Delegates said that single-family homes common in this country are rare and available only to more affluent homeowners in Russia. Most housing in Russia is in the form of apartments and multi-family housing similar to Kansas City’s downtown lofts. Converting historic buildings into housing is also a standard practice in Russia, although most of the buildings used are much older than those found in Kansas City. A delegate from St. Petersburg, Russia, said she lived in a building that was more than 400 years old.

The Russian construction professionals also said that financing there is considerably different. Due to difficult economic times and a lack of governmental resources, construction projects must be 100 percent privately financed with no tax credits, which have been instrumental in helping to redevelop Downtown Kansas City. Delegates were also intrigued by the freedom allowed to builders and homeowners in preserving the historical character of older buildings.

“I believe the interest the Russian delegation has shown in learning more about how Kansas City has worked to revitalize its urban core underscores the importance of a strong downtown to a metropolitan area,” said Tim Underwood, executive vice president of the Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City, which has helped organize the downtown housing tour. “I believe Kansas City can be an excellent resource for the delegation to learn more about the role of housing in urban redevelopment.”

The downtown housing tour was part of a three-week visit to the metropolitan region for the Russian delegation organized through the Productivity Enhancement Program administered by the Center for Citizen Initiatives, a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco. The program is designed to provide management training to Russian small businesses owners and entrepreneurs to help boost the nation’s economic production. The Kansas City trip is sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of Blue Springs, Independence, Lee’s Summit and St. Joseph.

The Home Builders Association (HBA) of Greater Kansas City is the voice of the housing industry and the source for housing information. Comprising more than 1,000 member companies, the HBA represents an industry that contributes more than 2.5 billion dollars to the Kansas City economy and supports more than 36,000 jobs in the Greater Kansas City metropolitan area.

###