Reflecting on Impact: Project Highlights From a Transformative Year

As we kick off the new year, our team at Hoefer Welker is taking the opportunity to reflect on the excellent year we had in 2025. Thanks to the dedication of our wonderful clients and various project partners, our team achieved exponential growth, innovation and success across each of our major market sectors. 

From healthcare, education, civic and government project designs to major redevelopment projects in the commercial and mixed-use retail sectors, we’ve been honored to help achieve major milestones across the board. 

The beauty of our business is that with every project completion we accomplish, new milestones surface for our team to work toward. While you often hear more about later phases of a project’s life cycle, such as ribbon-cuttings and grand openings, we want to celebrate some of the early wins that build out to those momentous events like winning project bids, groundbreaking ceremonies and more. 

Take a peek at a few significant project milestones we celebrated last year, which will continue to evolve throughout 2026 and beyond:

Healthcare: 

University of Kansas Health System Cancer Center
In May, our team celebrated the groundbreaking of The University of Kansas Health System Cancer Center, alongside our project partners and several state officials such as U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids and Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, among other dignitaries.

Bringing research and clinical care into one integrated complex, the University of Kansas Cancer Center will be a translational cancer facility purpose-built to advance and deliver cutting-edge cellular therapies. Located at the 39th and Rainbow campus in Kansas City, Missouri, the cancer center will serve as a hub for bone marrow transplants, immunotherapy, apheresis and cell processing. It is structured to provide a fully coordinated patient experience, integrating every necessary element, including diagnostics, treatment, imaging, pathology, nutrition counseling and social work within a single environment.

The cancer center’s construction is slated for completion by late fall 2027.

“We are honored to be part of the design team bringing a world-class cancer center to the Kansas City region,” said Patrick McCurdy, AIA, ACHA, NCARB, partner at Hoefer Welker. “In close collaboration with our project partners, we’re helping create a facility that will position The University of Kansas Cancer Center as a global destination for breakthrough therapies, pioneering research and lifesaving care. This transformative project will not only redefine cancer treatment in our region but also elevate Kansas City as a national and international leader in the fight against cancer.”

VA Jacksonville Multispecialty Outpatient Clinic

Toward the end of the year, we received exciting news from our longstanding client, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), as they announced that Hoefer Welker will lead design and development for the new VA Jacksonville Multispecialty Outpatient Clinic alongside national real estate development firm U.S. Federal Properties Co. (USFP). 

The state-of-the-art, 247,700-square-foot, three-story facility is poised to transform health care access for approximately 30,000 veterans annually across coastal North Carolina. This modern center will consolidate four existing smaller VA clinics into a single, comprehensive location, significantly enhancing services and convenience for the region’s veteran community. 

The new facility is slated to open in fall 2028.

Commercial: 

Bank of America Plaza Redevelopment

November 2025 marked a significant milestone for our Dallas team as Hoefer Welker was officially selected as the lead designer for the major redevelopment of Bank of America Plaza, Dallas’s tallest and most recognizable skyscraper. The city of Dallas approved the plans for the $400 million first phase of the project, expected to be completed in late 2027. 

Built in 1985, the 72-story tower has long been a landmark of the city’s skyline. The project’s goal is to reinvigorate downtown Dallas through a complete renovation of the city’s tallest building, transforming it from a traditional office tower to a new mixed-use destination. This includes a four-star, 275-room, convention center hotel with updated office spaces, street-level restaurants, and a 69th-floor restaurant and lounge. 

The design modernizes more than 1.5 million square feet of interior space and introduces new public amenities, including a rooftop restaurant and observation area. The redevelopment project will serve as a central anchor in downtown Dallas, supporting economic growth, urban activity and a stronger connection between the community and the city.

Mixed Use/Retail: 

800 Grand and Scarritt Building

More than a year after its initial unveiling, the 800 Grand project in Kansas City, Missouri, is moving into the next phase of development. Designed by Hoefer Welker, the project involves redeveloping the historic Scarritt building and arcade into a new five-star UMusic hotel with a venue for live music and constructing a new, 25-story apartment tower at 8th and Grand. The master plan also includes 44,000 square feet of retail, food and beverage space; a 1,600-seat theater fronting Walnut Street; and a 574-space garage. On December 11, 2025, the project won unanimous approval from the Kansas City City Council for a TIF package worth around $109 million.

Focused on inclusivity, sustainability and cultural vibrancy, the project is intended to be a "gateway building" that sparks further development along Grand Boulevard. The development of the master plan will continue throughout the next couple of years. 

Civic/Government: 

Sedalia Groundbreaking

Gathering with project partners and city officials in early October 2025, we celebrated the groundbreaking of Sedalia, Missouri’s new state-of-the-art fire station, training facility and bowling alley. Our team strategically designed these facilities to bring the city’s vision to life, creating a centralized location that invests in both public safety and community engagement for Sedalia residents.

The 8,585-square-foot fire station will replace the previous facility and will feature a modern, three-bay fire apparatus facility with six bunk rooms, a dayroom and a fitness room. Adjacent to the new fire station, the 2,749-square-foot fire training facility will house two fire apparatus bays and include a workshop and restrooms within the pre-engineered metal building. A separately designed burn tower will serve as a comprehensive classroom, allowing firefighters realistic experiences to learn and practice essential firefighting skills. The project will also include a new, 18,775-square-foot, 16-lane bowling alley dedicated to fostering community engagement and recreation.

The safety and community hub is strategically designed to support future growth, with plans to
include additional public amenities and park features. Future plans could include an outdoor
aquatic center with a lap pool, lazy river, zero-depth-entry kids pool and water slides.

Rowlett Municipal Complex

In April, our team joined the city of Rowlett (Texas) to commemorate the ceremonial groundbreaking for their upcoming Municipal Complex. Designed to be a cornerstone of Rowlett’s civic life, the new Municipal Complex will unify essential city functions — including City Hall, police and fire administration, courts, the city jail, an animal shelter and community park space — into a single, 100,000+-square-foot public safety campus. Community amenities such as walking trails, playgrounds, gathering spaces and a dog park will also complement the facility. 

Designed for future community and staff growth, the complex incorporates modern security systems (access control, dispatch, surveillance, audio/video recording and encrypted radio), secure evidence and detention infrastructure, and flexible future‑ready spaces. Hoefer Welker’s integrated design approach reflects deep collaboration with the city of Rowlett and the community task force to deliver a resilient, accessible and civic‑focused environment that capitalizes on sustainability, transparency, operational efficiency and lasting civic identity.

The project is funded through a voter-approved 2023 bond, the largest capital investment in the city’s history. The facility’s construction will continue for the next few years.

Thanks to the experts on our talented team and our clients and partners who give us the opportunity to do this work each and every day, we’re looking forward to another strong year of momentum and success ahead in 2026. 

Stay tuned for more updates on our projects here.