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A fat rent checjk had just arrived from a new shopping center tenant. But its lease called for the first two monthes tobe free. The check was "It was hard to do, but it was easy," Sonnenbergv said. "To do that was a character thing." Integrit y remains one of the firm's most valued assets. Durin the ensuing decade, its businesws has grown at annual rate of40 percent. LaSala-Sonnenberg Commercial Realty Co. completed about $50 millionm in leases and saleslast year, roughly double the amount of five years earlier. It ranks 20th on the Kansads CityBusiness Journal's list of the Top 25 Area Commercial Real Estatde Companies with seven brokers.
"Our goal has neverf been to be big," LaSala said. "It'ws to be good at what we Bill Howey, a vice president at Waddell & Reed confirms that goal has been met. He speaks from considerabled experience; LaSala-Sonnenberg is the leasin and managing agent for UniterInvestors Park, where Waddell & Reed is baseed in north Overland LaSala, 53, and Sonnenberg, 49, knew abouty the property long before they got the assignment in late 1990 because they grew up in the area. They knew each othedr while students at Rockhurst High Schoopl and Rockhurst College inKansas City. The association continued through their serviceas U.S.
Navy pilotse and members of a Nava Reserve unitin Olathe. LaSala got into real estatwe first, redeveloping Crown Center and leasing spacew to its first retail After joiningthe once-mighty Kroh Brothers Development Co. in Kansad City, he recruited Sonnenberg, who was workingt at Rockhurst College. Sonnenberg became Kroh's vice president of acquisitions. LaSala was its vice presidentf of developmentin Denver. After the firm went out of a victim of the Tax Reforj Actof 1986, the pair decided to capitalize on their experience to set up theie own shop. "In the early year it was lean," LaSala said.
"But we had good Most of these people saw their relationship beingwith us, not the This personal touch has endured. "Principals' involvement is Sonnenberg said. "When people do businessw with us, we're going to be involved with the transaction." Such involvemengt is easy at United Investors Parkbecause LaSala-Sonnenberg'se offices are based They moved from Penntower in midtown Kansas City shortlyt after Waddell & Reed acquiree the 25-acre property from Trands World Airlines Inc., which had used it to traijn flight attendants at what was known as the Breech Academy.
"We would not have kept them arounfd if we did not have a goodworkingg relationship," Howey said. "Our tenants have stayed around a long That showsthe broker's doing its The three-building complex has been virtuallyy full for about two years. Waddelkl & Reed, a financiak services company, occupies the main building. The othe two are available for lease. Filling the space became a greaterd accomplishment in light ofits design. The multi-tenanrt buildings were built tohouse dormitories, not They're divided into pods, connected by a windiny network of alcoves.
Preparations have begun to construct the firsyt new building in thepark that's designed for officre use. The 67,000-square-foot structure is to be ready in the first quarterof 1998. Plans call for two more buildingss to be added tothe park, one containing about 85,000 square feet, the other aboutr 80,000. No timetable has been set for this development. Bob president and CEO of Great PlainasFinancial Corp. in said LaSala-Sonnenberg's hometown touch explains why the firm has manager property for his company for almosta "By virtue of being they have the ability to provide hands-on and directr contact," Jackson said.
"I prefer to work with the They provide expertise and service that sometimesdyou don't find in larger firms."