Editorial: ‘Cool’ buildings, lots of housing woo workers

Millennials don’t just work in nitty-gritty downtown Kansas City or the Crossroads Arts District.

True, those areas in the past few years have helped attract a large number of young people to high-tech companies and other businesses. These workers often cite the lure of being in old buildings that have been admirably renovated for modern uses. These structures, as well as new buildings, can feature amenities such as open meeting areas, kitchens, gyms and other modern attractions for employees.

But as a recent cover story in the 913 section pointed out, millennials and plenty of other people looking for jobs also now can find these kinds of amenities in new buildings in Johnson County.

Businesses in the county, especially in the software industry, are competing with others in this region as well as across the country for brainpower — employees who can make a difference to their bottom lines.

And one way to do that, some officials told The Star, is to offer first-class and “cool” offices that aren’t like the old-fashioned cubicles that so many people still toil in.

Johnson County, when it comes to appealing to millennials as a place to live, not just work, also doesn’t fare as poorly some people might think.

While many say home buying isn’t as popular as it once was, a new study says most young people want to live in the suburbs. They are seeking more living space than they can get for similar prices in a city’s center.

Johnson County provides housing for all income levels, so that’s a good start at wooing the people needed to keep the “cool” buildings full of hard-working employees.

This story was originally published January 31, 2015 at 7:29 PM with the headline "Editorial: ‘Cool’ buildings, lots of housing woo workers."