KCMBA unveils new patio, renovations at open house

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Renewing its lease at the 2300 Main building in downtown Kansas City provided the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association with an opportunity to improve its space.

In July, KCMBA kicked off a series of renovations in its office, which the organization unveiled at its final Member Appreciation Month event on Sept. 28.

Event attendees admired the executive boardroom, which has doubled in size from its previous version. The room now has a wet bar and counter space for food service, as well as additional seating in an upholstered banquette that runs parallel to the central boardroom table on the room’s border.

“It’s a gorgeous renovation,” said Anika Hickman, a staff attorney for Jackson County CASA, who attended the event with her colleagues, Claire Terrebonne and Judith Westmoreland. “This boardroom is very impressive.”

Vickie Mauck, executive director of KCMBA, said the cost of the project was covered by a tenant-improvement allowance KCMBA negotiated as part of its lease extension, “allowing KCMBA’s members to benefit from the significant improvements to the offices and Event Center at no additional cost to the membership.”

“We really think it will elevate the service that we can provide to our members and the legal community,” she said, noting that the organization now makes better use of space that includes the executive boardroom, a new East Boardroom, staff offices, a new wellness room, and deposition and meeting rooms.

Mauck said KCMBA already hosts several events of its own. The organization also has a partnership with the city’s five diverse bar associations for their events, and its spaces are available to members and nonmembers as well.

She said the larger space in the executive boardroom, as well as additional counter space, will allow KCMBA and its members to hold more social events.

The new 464-square-foot East Boardroom offers a view of downtown Kansas City’s iconic Western Auto sign. The wellness room includes a cushy armchair, as well as a sink and counter with a small fridge built in.

Mauck said the room provides a space for nursing mothers to pump and store breast milk — whether they’re KCMBA staff members or attorneys attending events — and also may be used by others seeking quiet.

“We tried to furnish it in a calming décor that would be good for many different uses,” she said.

Mauck also noted upgrades made to the entry area of the office’s Event Center, which hosts CLEs and other events.

“There used to be two chairs and a lamp here — now there’s kind of a coffee-shop style,” she said, noting its high chairs and bar. “You can sit here and read your emails, [or] have a cup of coffee or beer.”

KCMBA’s renovations reach beyond the interior space — as part of its lease negotiations, the organization has obtained for its private use a 2,624-square-foot patio area that is accessible from the Event Center for year-round use.

“The patio is fabulous, with its usability and great views of downtown Kansas City,” Mauck said.