KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Project partners, federal officials, and construction leaders gathered recently to celebrate the completion of a major modernization effort at the Charles Evans Whittaker U.S. Courthouse in downtown Kansas City. The landmark 10-story facility finished a complex, $110.9 million façade replacement project designed to enhance structural safety, boost energy efficiency, and modernize the building envelope.
Originally opened in 2000, the approximately 600,000-square-foot federal courthouse required a full-scale replacement of its aging and deteriorated exterior glazing. The multi-year undertaking—served in large part as a high-profile project heavily funded by the federal Inflation Reduction Act—replaced roughly 96,000 square feet of glazing systems across all four elevations.
Led by general contractor JE Dunn Construction—which originally built the courthouse—alongside design architect Krueck Sexton Partners, Alpha Corporation, and the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), the project team tackled significant logistical and engineering hurdles. Because the building remained fully occupied and operational throughout construction, teams had to carefully coordinate site logistics, security clearances, and phased crane schedules around active court proceedings and daily public services.
To meet modern Facility Security Level IV criteria, the replacement effort incorporated heavy-duty, blast-resistant laminated insulated glass units. Because the new glass and framing assemblies demanded load capacities significantly greater than the original structure, engineers devised an innovative installation method. Anchor assemblies were grouted directly into trenches cut into existing floor slabs, creating a secure connection at floor level that vastly improved installation safety and efficiency across the building’s 20-foot-plus floor-to-floor heights.
The renovation also heavily prioritized sustainability. The new envelope features advanced low-embodied-carbon (LEC) glass and aluminum framing materials, which sharply reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to industry baselines. Additionally, the project integrated specialized bird-safe glass frit patterns to prevent wildlife strikes, alongside a new lobby atrium skylight and select roofing upgrades to support long-term building performance.
