Plaza ‘anchor’ Lockton confirms move to Kansas after Leawood OKs big incentives
It’s official: Lockton Companies, a major employer for Kansas City, is leaving the Country Club Plaza and crossing the state line into Kansas.
The goliath private insurance brokerage on Friday announced it would set up shop in a new “state-of-the-art global headquarters” in Leawood in order to accommodate anticipated growth.
The announcement in an afternoon news release came just days after Leawood City Council approved plans for a 34-acre, mixed use project south of State Line Road and Interstate 435 and valued at $760 million.
But that agreement was contingent on Lockton being the anchor office in the development, a move that would be a big blow to the Plaza, where it has stood since 2000, as the entertainment and shopping district undergoes major redevelopment.
The company’s new headquarters would open in 2030 in a 12-story, 444,000-square-foot office building to be constructed on the site.
“To keep pace, we need a headquarters that supports our current growth and our plans for the future,” said Ron Lockton, company CEO, in the news release. “One that meets all our needs — in a premier work environment that enables us to service our clients, develop and attract great talent and support our Associates in the best way possible.”
Lockton serves 65,000 clients in 153 offices across 43 countries, according to the release. The firm employs 1,500 local associates in Kansas City and more than 13,000 worldwide.
The Hallbrook North Development, proposed by VanTrust Real Estate, would feature Lockton’s office building, a hotel, two luxury apartment buildings and parking. The site would also house a child care facility, restaurant and retail space and additional office and commercial space. Construction would begin in 2027.
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas addressed the relocation plan in an afternoon statement. He said that although he wished Lockton success moving forward, he was disappointed “by the misplaced confidence many of us had in the one-time Missouri-Kansas Border War Truce, which was well in effect when negotiations supporting this move began.”
“Regionalism cannot be one sided,” Lucas wrote. “The region will only thrive when we look to grow the pie, not rearrange pieces on the chess board.”
Leawood Mayor Marc Elkins also responded to the Lockton’s announcement.
“We are honored that Lockton has chosen Leawood as a place where they can continue to grow and succeed,” Elkins said in a release. “We are proud to welcome their future world headquarters to our city and pleased that they have chosen to remain in the Kansas City region, strengthening both our local and regional economy.”
Taylor O’Connor contributed to the reporting of this story.
This story was originally published December 19, 2025 at 3:57 PM.
