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The Kansas City Chiefs announced who’s overseeing planning and construction of their future $300 million team headquarters and practice facility in Olathe. And they’re staying local.
The team selected KC-based engineering, architecture, and construction firm Burns & McDonnell to serve as the “owner’s representative” for the new practice facility planned to open before the 2031 season.
Matt Kenny, Chiefs executive vice president and chief operations officer, said in a statement that the team is “extremely excited” to work with the firm. The team said the construction firm will be responsible for ensuring the project remains on schedule, within budget and aligned with the owner’s goals.
“As a local, employee-owned firm with a track record of project success around the world, we know they have the right mix of local knowledge as well as global experience to help us navigate the upcoming design and construction phases of a truly unique year-round home for our football team and staff,” Kenny said.
What other projects has Burns & McDonnell worked on? Have they always been based in Kansas City? Who owns the company?
Here’s what you need to know about the firm building the next practice facility for the four-time Super Bowl champions.
When did Burns & McDonnell open?
Burns & McDonnell’s presence in Kansas City dates back to its founding at tail end of the 19th century.
Founders Clinton Burns and Robert McDonnell selected Kansas City as their home base in 1898 after looking for a central location with potential water and sewer clients within a day’s travel, according to its biography. Now, there are over 75 offices located around the world, including Boston, Los Angeles and St. Louis nationally, and Mexico City, London and Toronto internationally.
Its world headquarters is at 9400 Ward Parkway.
What does Burns & McDonnell do?
Burns & McDonnell designs and builds infrastructure in Kansas City and all over the world. The firm has been tasked to build new facilities for aviation, commercial, retail and industrial companies, along with constructing upgrades for environmental facilities and roads and bridges.
One of its recent projects is happening in Westport, where crews recently resumed work on the Westport Stormwater Improvement Project after going on hiatus for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Locally, they’ve also worked on the KC Streetcar and the Buck O’Neil Bridge.
The firm’s website says that they consult and collaborate with clients throughout the construction process, and that they aim to “design and construct for resiliency.”
Services Burns & McDonnell provides include:
- Self-perform construction
- Architectural design
- All engineering disciplines
- Program and project management
- Environmental solutions
- Commissioning
For the Chiefs’ new headquarters in Olathe, Burns & McDonnell will team up with CAA ICON, a strategic management consulting firm, to build it on approximately 155 acres of land near the intersection of College Boulevard and Ridgeview Road in Olathe.
“They will coordinate with architects, engineers, contractors, consultants, and other key stakeholders to support project execution, maintain alignment with budget and schedule objectives, manage risk, and help ensure the facility is delivered to the high standards expected by the Chiefs organization,” the Chiefs said in a statement.
They’ve built another sports facility in the United States: the performance center for the MLS’s Columbus Crew in 2021. Burns & McDonnell says it took them 12 months to complete.
Who owns Burns & McDonnell?
The workers own Burns & McDonnell.
The firm is 100% employee-owned, according to its website. This is due to its employee stock ownership plan, where workers can buy stock shares in the company at no additional cost.
“At year-end, our company makes a cash contribution to the ESOP, which is allocated to eligible employee-owners,” the firm says. “The cash in your account purchases shares at the current fair market value, assessed annually.”
Burns & McDonnell’s CEO is Leslie M. Duke, who became the firm’s eighth CEO in history in 2024.
