Academy Bank makes corporate HQ move to new Downtown offices

Academy Bank will make the jump from one Copaken Brooks downtown office tower to another in a coming relocation of its corporate headquarters.

The locally based bank has leased about 50,000 square feet for new offices on the 10th, 11th, and 12th floors of 1201 Walnut, plus a new first-floor branch in the building’s lobby. It anticipates moving into the space in the fall and opening the branch in the fourth quarter. The 29-story tower has 481,150 square feet of leasable space.

Academy Bank previously occupied 72,492 square feet on Town Pavilion’s second and 16th floors. Copaken Brooks has listed 49,989- and 22,503-square-foot office spaces coming available on those levels in November. The 38-story Town Pavilion offers 826,700 square feet of leasable space.

“This move marks an exciting new venture for Academy Bank, providing us updated office space to support our growth while keeping us in the core of downtown Kansas City, the heartbeat of the region,” Academy Bank CEO Paul Holewinski said in a Thursday release. “The opportunities within our new location will allow us to gain efficiencies in how we work and to continue delivering fast, easy and personal service for our loyal clients.”

Academy Bank occupies two other branches in local properties managed by Copaken Brooks — a location on the first floor of Corrigan Station II in the Crossroads Arts District and a drive-thru location at the Hampton Building in Lenexa City Center.

Ryan Biery, senior vice president of brokerage at Copaken Brooks, represented 1201 Walnut in the transaction, and Colliers International principal Bryan Johnson represented Academy Bank.

“We’re excited to continue partnering with Academy Bank across our downtown portfolio, from the Crossroads to the heart of Kansas City’s business district,” Copaken Brooks principal Jon Copaken said in the release. “It’s been an honor to continue to support Academy Bank’s growth, and this collaboration has continued to offer tremendous value to Kansas City’s downtown business community.”

Academy Bank ranked 13th on the Kansas City Business Journal’s most recent List of largest area banks, with a 1.66% market share and $1.99 billion in total deposits, $1.2 billion of which were made locally.

With Academy Bank’s deal, office occupancy at Town Pavilion and 1201 Walnut sits at 81.27% and 84.68%, respectively, Biery said.

In another recent office deal of note, Bank Midwest renewed its lease with Copaken Brooks at Town Pavilion for more than 56,000 square feet on the first, third, 27th and 28th floors.

This story is from the Kansas City Business Journal.