Downtown Kansas City

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Downtown Kansas City
A portion of the downtown Kansas City skyline
A portion of the downtown Kansas City skyline
Image:Kansas City, Missouri map - US-MO-Kansas City-Downtown.jpg
Location in Kansas City
Country United States
State Missouri
Counties Jackson County
City Kansas City
Elevation 800 ft (244 m)
Population (2006)
 - Total 16,292
ZIP code 64101, 64102, 64105, 64106, 64108, and 64109
Area code(s) 816

Downtown Kansas City, Missouri is the central part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, and is defined by the Kansas City, Missouri Downtown Council and City Hall officials as the area located between the Missouri River in the North, to 31st Street in the South; and from the Kansas/Missouri state line East to Troost Avenue.

Contents

[edit] Demographics

As of 2007, Downtown has 16,292 permanent residents and 11,500 housing units.[1] In 2000, the population may have been as low as 10,000 people with 7,330 units.[citation needed] There are currently 2,649 housing units planned for construction in Downtown.[2] In 2005, Downtown Kansas City had a density of approximately 5,617 people per square mile in its 2.9-square-mile (7.5 km²) area.[citation needed] According to Local Market reports, Downtown houses approximately 20,000,000 square feet (1,900,000 m²) of office space.[citation needed] However, the vacancy of this space is at about 17%.[citation needed] There are also about 12,800,000 square feet (1,190,000 m²) of Class A&B office space in Downtown,[citation needed] with a vacancy rate of 15.9%.[3] There are over 100,000 employees working in the Downtown area.[citation needed] Downtown has a total of 3,606 hotel rooms or 13.5% of the total amount of hotel rooms in the metropolitan area.[citation needed] The average occupancy of these rooms is about 56.5%.[citation needed] Currently about 2,800,000 square feet (260,000 m²) of office space are under construction in Downtown Kansas City.[citation needed]Current investments into downtown redevelopment have exceeded $4 billion.[4]

[edit] Architectural Structures

Oppenstein Brothers Memorial Park

See Also: Architecture in Kansas City

[edit] Redevelopment Projects

In recent years, Downtown Kansas City has been undergoing a massive "boom" in renovations and new construction. Since 2000, the estimated cost of these projects has totaled over $4 billion.[citation needed]

[edit] Power & Light District

Main article: Power & Light District

The Power & Light District, also known as the "Entertainment District", is a nine-block area immediately to the south of the Central Business District. Originally to be named "Kansas City Live", the developer - Cordish, Inc. of Baltimore, Maryland - decided to name the district after the historic art deco Power & Light Building. The present headquarters of the Kansas City Power & Light Company, a subsidiary of Great Plains Energy (NYSE: GXP), is also located on the northern side of the district. Instead, a one-block area near the new H&R Block headquarters tower--devoted to live music venues--will be named Kansas City Live!.

Looking West down the main Street of the new Power and Light District.
Looking West down the main Street of the new Power and Light District.
Looking East down the main Street of the same road.
Looking East down the main Street of the same road.

Since the summer of 2006, the H&R Block building has been open for business. Its prominent oval shape, mixed with blue-green reflective glass, makes for an architectural transition between the Central Business District's skyscrapers and the south loop's older buildings. This ties together a theme of new, glass-walled buildings in the area, also including the Sprint Center and the Kansas City Star printing press across I-670.

As well, Cordish plans to build four residential towers in the project. As of Summer 2007, however, only one is nearing construction: a 38 floor 350-unit residential tower which may include a boutique hotel. The site lays immediately north of the H&R Block headquarters on a lot once occupied by the flagship store of the Jones Store Company. In March 2006, the ground was leveled and dug out.

AMC entered into an agreement with Cordish to redevelop the Mainstreet Theater.
AMC entered into an agreement with Cordish to redevelop the Mainstreet Theater.

Construction is evident when driving across I-670, as the new Entertainment District practically shares a border with the Interstate. Soon the view will be blocked by the above mentioned residential towers. Enclosed between the residential towers and H&R Block's new Building will be many shops and restaurants, new to the Kansas City area. City leaders hope that the new District will be a major attraction for Kansas City-area residents and visitors to the area, and have a civic impact on Downtown similar to that experienced by other municipalities, such as Baltimore and San Antonio.

[5] -Official Website

[6] -Construction Webcam

[edit] Sprint Center

The Sprint Center, an 18,500-seat arena, is a project that was announced shortly after the Power & Light District. In 2004, the proposed arena was effectively passed by the voters of all the affected counties, who voted to fund the arena by means of a tax on car rentals and hotels.

This project raised some controversy. Enterprise Rent-A-Car, a St. Louis corporation whose majority shareholder is known for supporting an NBA team for St. Louis, lobbied against the tax and tried to sway public opinion against the arena. Some city officials, as well as those who did not desire to pay the increased tax, also fought against the project. One of the most prominent of these individuals was Sandra McFadden-Weaver, a member of the City Council of Kansas City, Missouri. Despite the outcry from a few dissenters, the arena vote passed decidedly.

Construction began late in 2004. Before this, however, and even before the vote, the city sent out a request for local and national architectural firms to bid on the project. Some of these firms included HOK Sports, Ellerbe Beckett, 360 Architecture, Rafael Architects Inc. and the world-renowned Frank Gehry. The first four of those firms, however, collaborated to form the "Downtown Arena Design Team", and won the contract over Gehry's bid. As a reason for their choice, the city stated both that those companies had completed a variety of sports-related projects done many projects related to sports, and that all were local companies.

Since construction began, many local minority leaders have protested the construction company and contractors for not putting enough minorities in the construction and contracting teams. The contractors, however, assert that they have complied with state and federal requirements and continue to meet the requests of local citizens.

As of August 2007, the arena does not have an NBA or NHL tenant, though the Nashville Predators have been purchased by a group led by William "Boots" Delbaggio, who has an agreement with the arena to operate any NHL team that plays there. An NHL expansion franchise is also a rumored possibility.

[7] -Construction Webcam

[edit] Convention Center Ballroom

Bartle Hall Convention Center, having notably expanded over the past decade, has decided to expand yet again. The current project entails a large ballroom facility, situated over I-670's passage through downtown Kansas City just east of the convention center. The project is estimated to cost about $100 million. As of spring 2006, this project is under construction and the building is well on its way to completion.

[edit] Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

A new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts is under construction south of Bartle Hall Convention Center and its new ballroom. Construction was started on October 6, 2006, and it is scheduled to open in December 2009. Once completed, the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts will be a 316,000-square-foot (29,400 m²) performing arts center. It will serve the Kansas City Metropolitan Area has host to three resident companies: the Kansas City Symphony, Kansas City Ballet, and Kansas City Lyric Opera.

[8] -Construction Webcam

[edit] Federal Reserve Bank of KC headquarters

The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City decided to move from a 21-story tower in the Downtown Loop to a Penn Valley Park location on the southern edge of Downtown, immediately west of Crown Center on a site formerly occupied by Trinity Lutheran and St. Mary's hospitals. The headquarters will house a 14-story tower surrounded by several smaller two-story and four-story buildings. Construction is underway at the site, and the stonework is already being placed on the facade.

[edit] IRS headquarters

IRS Headquarters Under Construction, October 2004
IRS Headquarters Under Construction, October 2004

The IRS recently decided to construct a new building downtown, just west of Crown Center, which will house 6,000 employees. Presumably because of the threat of terrorism, the IRS decided on this particular site because it is in a low-lying area and will include low-rise buildings. The plan calls for a $200 million facility with 5,500 parking spaces in its accompanying garage, along with over a million square feet of space for the IRS. Construction began in 2004 and should be ready in time for a scheduled completion in the summer of 2006. The IRS will also occupy the nearby Kansas City Main Post Office building, the Post Office having moved across the street to a building next to Union Station. It is currently constructed and operational.

[edit] Freight House

The 120-year-old historic Freight House building in the Crossroads Arts District was renovated in the late 1990s, and it is now home to City Tavern, Lidia’s Kansas City, and Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue. The original plan for the redevelopment included a 21-story hotel and garage; however, the hotel portion of the plan did not materialize at the time, because of then uncertainty about the future redevelopment of downtown.

In August 2007, it was announced that developer Dan Clothier now wants to complete his original plan by adding an 18-story hotel tower atop a three-level garage. The $38 million project calls for the structure to house either 200 hotel rooms or a combination of 160 rooms along with some residential units.

[edit] Barkley

The TWA Moonliner atop the Former TWA Building is a landmark in the Crossroads Art District.
The TWA Moonliner atop the Former TWA Building is a landmark in the Crossroads Art District.

Kansas City's second largest advertising & pr firm Barkley Inc., formerly Barkley Evergreen & Partners, moved its 350 plus employees to the former TWA world headquarters at the very southern edge of the district in November of 2006. The building has been empty for two decades and cost over 30 million dollars to renovate. Barkley also reconstructed the famous Disney designed three-story rocket ship that had stood atop the building during TWA's tenure. The Moonliner signified one-time TWA majority shareholder Howard Hughes' desire to guide the airline into space travel. Other renovations to the building included a theater, grass-lined rooftop observation deck, open floor plan, and gallery space featuring art from local and national artists. Barkley adopted the rocket ship as its new logo shortly before moving into the renovated TWA space.

[edit] Residential construction

This is a list of all currently under construction, proposed, and envisioned developments for Downtown that include residential units, ranging from lofts, to condos, to studios.

[edit] Under construction

Name Units Location
Power and Light Condos 1 350 Downtown Loop
Founders at Union Hill 276 Crown Center
Bridgeworks 224 River Market
Cold Storage 224 River Market
Manhattan Condos 221 Downtown Loop
Power and Light Condos 100 Downtown Loop
Piper Lofts 92 Crossroads
Argyle Building 90 Downtown Loop
309, 509 & 510 Delaware 80 River Market
Windows Lofts 72 Crossroads
Graphic Arts Building 58 Downtown Loop
Liberty Lofts 44 Crown Center
Midland Theater Apartments 40 Downtown Loop
Cherry Hill Row 15 Gillham Row
Abdiana Building 13 Downtown Loop
1728 Holmes 7 Crossroads
Total 1905 Greater Downtown

[edit] Proposed

Name Units Location
P&L District 850 Downtown Loop
East Village 800 Downtown Loop
Beacon Hill 430 Beacon Hill
100 Wyandotte 326 River Market
Old US Courthouse 136 Downtown Loop
Mark Twain Hotel 150 Downtown Loop
Federal Reserve Tower 120 Downtown Loop
Wellington Place 110 Downtown Loop
JI Case Building 105 Crossroads
Clubhouse Lofts West 95 Downtown Loop
Firestone Building 90 Crossroads
Graphic Arts Building 58 Downtown Loop
PCB Project 50 Crossroads
The Star Lofts 46 Crossroads
Trinity Lutheran 29 Trinity Lutheran/Midtown
Republic Paper 25 River Market
Gate City National Bank 20 Downtown Loop
29 Gillham Row 19 Gillham Row
W Lofts 17 Crossroads
Midwest Hotel 13 Crossroads
SoLo Lofts 12 Crossroads
2004 Grand 5 Crossroads
Total 3506 Greater Downtown

[edit] Entertainment Venues

[edit] Neighborhoods

[edit] The Loop

The Loop is the north central section of Downtown Kansas City, is the most dense section of the city, and is surrounded on all four sides by the downtown freeway loop. Altogether the Loop has an area of nearly one square mile. In 2006, the Downtown Loop had nearly 8,000 residents. The Downtown Loop encompasses Quality Hill, the Central Business District, the Entertainment District, and the Government District.

  • The Library District is an officially designated area roughly bounded by 9th and 11th Streets on the north and south and Main Street and Broadway on the east and west in Downtown Kansas City, MO. The Library District took its new name in 2003 in connection with the move of the Kansas City Public Library's Central Branch to a building formerly the headquarters of the First National Bank of Kansas City. This area includes the world headquarters of AMC Theatres, the Community Bookshelf (which is the exterior of the library's parking garage), and the 10th and Main Transit Plaza, Kansas City's main municipal bus terminal. Originally this area was developed as a commercial and entertainment area in the 1880s, but now contains a large number of loft buildings. Several surface parking lots remain in this area that may in the future be redeveloped into more intensive developments.
  • Quality Hill is in the west end of the business loop and was originally developed as mansions to house the owners of the stockyards below. It is the oldest still-residential neighborhood in Kansas City, dating to beofre the American Civil War. It has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1978. In the 1980s it was one of the first Downtown areas to be successfully redeveloped by Hall Family Foundation and the Kauffman Foundation. It is now a very popular neighborhood with a mix of townhouses, apartments,restaurants, bars, entertainment venues, private clubs, businesses, and Case Park.
  • The Garment District is located to the east of Quality Hill, across Broadway Boulevard. In the 1930s several large clothing manufacturers clustered here, making Kansas City's garment district second only to New York City's in size. Today, this heritage is commemorated by an oversize needle and thread monument. Its old industrial buildings have since been redeveloped into loft apartments, office, and restaurants. Henry Perry, father of Kansas City-style barbecue got his start in 1908 from a stand in an alley in the neighborhood.
  • The Government District on the east side of the downtown loop consists of Kansas City's City Hall (the tallest city hall in the United States, at 30 stories), the Jackson County Courthouse, Police Headquarters, the Bolling Federal Building, the Charles Evans Whittaker U.S. Courthouse, which serves as the seat of the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri. The government buildings are in walking distance of each other and are centered around Ilus Davis Park.
  • The Financial District, includes Kansas City's main skyscrapers, such as One Kansas City Place (the tallest habitable structure in Missouri), the Town Pavilion, and City Center Square. The district also includes the headquarters of the KCMO School District and, until the spring of 2008, the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. The financial buildings are in walking distance of each other.
  • The Power & Light District is a nine-block entertainment district developed by the Cordish Company of Baltimore, Maryland, which has been under construction since 2004 and currently is nearing completion. It is situated along the southern edge of the downtown loop, bordered by Truman Road and Interstate 670 to the south and Bartle Hall Convention Center to the west. It includes Municipal Auditorium, H & R Block's new corporate headquarters and the new 18,000 seat Sprint Center, which opened on October 10, 2007.
  • The Convention District consists of Bartle Hall, Municipal Auditorium, Bartle Hall Convention Center, the Power & Light District, and the Sprint Center. The convention buildings are in walking distance of each other.

[edit] Convention Center Ballroom

Bartle Hall Convention Center, having notably expanded over the past decade, has decided to expand yet again. The current project entails a large ballroom facility, situated over I-670's passage through downtown Kansas City just east of the convention center. The project is estimated to cost about $100 million. As of spring 2006, this project is under construction and the building is well on its way to completion.

[edit] Columbus Park

  • A residential neighborhood just east of River Market. A traditional home of Italian Americans, more recent immigrants include Vietnamese and other Southeast Asians.

[edit] Crossroads

[edit] West Side

  • An area of primarily single-family homes on limestone bluffs overlooking the Loop that has a strong Hispanic influence. Neighborhood leaders have, for the most part, prevented the urban gentrification that has affected surrounding areas.

[edit] Crown Center

  • Crown Center - a primarily retail and commercial district located east of Union Station, or south of the Crossroads district. It is home to Hyatt Regency at Crown Center, Westin at Crown Center, Hallmark Cards, and other companies. Crown Center is also used to refer to the retail/restaurant center underneath the Westin hotel.

[edit] Transportation

[edit] The MAX

Launched by the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) in July 2005, "MAX" (Metro Area Express) is a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line extending from downtown through the Country Club Plaza to Waldo. These buses have GPS receivers so bus stops can give real time data about the next pickup time. All buses have dedicated lanes during rush hour and can hold traffic lights green, if needed, to get back on schedule.

The Downtown MAX stops include:

Most other KCATA routes have stops throughout downtown, centered on the Transit Plaza at 10th & Main street and Grand Avenue between 11th and 12th.

[edit] Light Rail

On November 7, 2006 Kansas City passed a light rail proposal. Only initial route information is available from the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority as the study will continue into 2009.

[edit] Regional

[edit] Bus Lines

  • Greyhound Lines, 12th and Troost
  • Jefferson Lines, 12th and Troost, shares a terminal with Greyhound
  • Megabus, 10th and Main, shares space with KCATA Transit Center
  • El Conejo, 501 Southwest Blvd.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Kansas City Downtown Council. Population of Downtown permanent residents. Retrieved on [[October 5, 2007]].
  2. ^ Kansas City Downtown Council. Summary of proposed housing units. Retrieved on [[October 5, 2007]].
  3. ^ Kansas City Business Journal. KC's Downtown Office Vacancies Decline. Retrieved on 2008-03-21.
  4. ^ Kansas City Downtown Council. Summary of Downtown Investment. Retrieved on [[October 5, 2007]].
  5. ^ http://www.powerandlightdistrict.com/
  6. ^ http://www.kcmo.org/cimo/webcam2.htm
  7. ^ http://www.kcmo.org/cimo/webcam1.htm
  8. ^ http://ftp.bnim.com/

[edit] External links

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