Cerner Corporation is moving ahead with construction of the next two office towers at its Innovations Campus by the former Bannister Mall site, according to four area elected officials who attended a private briefing by Cerner officials on January 26.
City Councilman Scott Taylor announced the positive news at a public “Saturdays With Scott” meeting in Waldo on January 27. He also said he is seeing interest in other new developments around the Campus and throughout south Kansas City due to Cerner’s investment in the area.
He later told me, “Having Cerner create an additional 3,000 new jobs in the next expansion in South Kansas City is very exciting.”
Similar themes were echoed by others who attended the briefing.
State Representative Richard Brown also praised Cerner for its continued expansion, and said he is very happy that minority-owned and women-owned firms are part of the construction project.
The approximately 3,000 employees now working at the Innovations Campus began moving in about a year ago. A formal ribbon cutting and grand opening of the existing 11- and 8-story office towers, a 4-story building connecting them and a 2-story building to link them with the recently announced next two office towers south of the existing buildings was conducted on March 9, 2017.
The existing buildings also include an employee health clinic, pharmacy, fitness center and cafeteria featuring multiple cuisines.
Mike Nill, Cerner executive vice president and chief operating officer, told me and other news media representatives on February 17, 2017, that he expected construction of the next two towers to begin early this year. He said when they are fully staffed there will be about 6,000 Cerner associates at the Campus, which is expected to eventually house about 16,000 employees.