OVERLAND PARK, KS — Each year, the ABC Heart of America Chapter holds an annual awards program: The Excellence in Construction (EIC) Awards. The EIC Awards recognize outstanding Merit Shop construction projects completed during the previous year by member companies in Missouri and Kansas. This year, RDG Planning & Design, along with MegaKC and the City of Overland Park, received ABC Heart of America’s 2020 Excellence in Construction Award for work on Thompson Park in Overland Park, Kansas. RDG joined MegaKC and Overland Park in celebrating the recognition during a virtual awards ceremony.

The EIC awards program is the industry’s leading competition, developed to honor innovative and high-quality construction projects. The winning projects, selected from entries submitted from across Missouri and Kansas, are judged on complexity, attractiveness, unique challenges overcome, completion time, workmanship, innovation, safety, and cost.

Thompson Park, which was officially dedicated in August 2020, serves as a greenspace for the local community and incorporates interactive features to encourage imaginative play. A newly constructed stage features a paper airplane-shaped awning — a nod to the city’s aviation history — and offers a venue for the city to host concerts and other entertainment events. The existing carriage house, which was originally built by Overland Park Founder William Strang, has been renovated and now serves as a modern event space.

“The design and construction of Thompson Park reflect Overland Park’s investment in establishing a walkable city center where residents can truly live, work, and play. We’re proud to share recognition with our client and partner firms for a project that fulfills such a critical component of the city’s vision for its downtown,” said RDG Partner and Landscape Architect, Bruce Niedermyer, PLA, ASLA, LEED AP.

“Renovation of this space by Overland Park expresses just how much the people mean to this city. A great design, an outstanding location, an exceptional project team — attained only by selflessness — has created an inspiration for other communities to admire. MegaKC’s employee-owners take great pride in their construction of Thompson Park, a truly unique destination,” said MegaKC Project Superintendent Andrew Richardson.

Set across 4.8 acres in Overland Park’s downtown, construction for the $3.6-million project began in 2018. In addition to a splash pad, play area, and performance stage, the park includes two open-air shelters, new restrooms, various seating areas, a custom fountain and sculpture, and an outdoor working space with electrical outlets and Wi-Fi.