OVERLAND PARK, KAN. - Black & Veatch finalized the $60 million purchase of its headquarters building in Overland Park, allowing the engineering, consulting, and construction company to begin site development, enhancement, and plans for expansion. The new world headquarters will include a solar courtyard, solar canopy, bio garden and an innovation pavilion. There will also be extensive workspace, common area, and facility upgrades, as well as energy management upgrades; enhancements in external landscaping; rainwater reuse systems; and stormwater runoff management. When completed, Black & Veatch expects its world headquarters to be LEED certified.

"With the completion of this purchase, we can now begin to implement at our world headquarters the same types of innovative and sustainable solutions we provide every day for our clients," said Len C. Rodman, Black & Veatch chairman, president, and CEO. "Bringing these innovative and futuristic enhancements to an older facility to meet tomorrow's design standards presents a large technical challenge, but is the most sustainable solution for the area. In addition to these enhancements, we are also planning for an additional 250,000 square-foot complex that will be built, when needed, to accommodate future growth."

The company said it has piloted many of the potential design concepts at its more than 100 global offices and will draw on its LEED-certified experts and architecture, engineering, and construction talent to bring those design concepts to the world headquarters.