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Downtown Kansas City

Downtown Kansas City has charted a course that many other cities may need to follow on the path to recovery; mixing live and work together in a compact, walkable setting. Nearly all new developments continue this trend, even intermingling uses between property types: offices enriched with cafes and gyms; apartments with co-working and dog-friendly spaces; hotels mixed with residential; health clubs, restaurants, and retail animating ground floors. The interactivity of these diverse drivers accounts to a large degree for Downtown’s success and will be key to a full revival.

Why Downtown?
  • Fastest Growing Neighborhood

    Downtown has become the fastest-growing residential neighborhood of both Kansas City and the entire region, as the population increased by 79% from 2010 to 2022 to more than 32,000 residents.

  • Millennial Hub

    Millennials make up 52% of Downtown Kansas City’s residential population – the largest concentration in the region, outpacing the MSA’s rate of 29%. Millennials and Gen Z account for 64% of Downtown’s population.

  • Exceptional Talent

    Fifty percent of Downtown Kansas City’s residential population have a bachelor’s degree or higher compared to the MSA’s rate of 36%.

  • Incredible Renaissance

    More than $9 billion in major developments have been completed or are currently under construction in Downtown Kansas City.

  • Vibrant Environment

    Downtown is a thriving, mixed-use district with vibrant urban living and an expansive array of cultural, entertainment, dining, and recreation options that appeal to residents and workers.

  • Business Center

    Downtown is the prime driver of Kansas City’s economy, where 34% of all the City’s jobs are located. Downtown has more than 113,000 employees and 26.5 million square feet of office space.

Why Downtown?
Tech
Talent
Growing Tech Jobs

Kansas City added the 3rd highest percentage of tech jobs in 2020, behind only Austin and San Francisco – KC Tech Council, May 2021

Share of Tech Jobs

Kansas City ranks 24th in the highest concentration of tech jobs as a percentage of total jobs – 2021 CBRE Tech Talent Report

Females in Tech

Kansas City ranks #3 in the country with the highest percentage of females in the tech industry – 2021 CBRE Tech Talent Report

Market for Programmers

Kansas City is the 14th fastest growing market for software developers and programmers – 2021 CBRE Tech Talent Report

Thriving
District
10.5M

Annual Visitors to Downtown

113K

Downtown Employees

32K

Downtown Residents

400+

More than 400 local artists Downtown

Development

In the last two decades, Downtown Kansas City has been transformed from a 9-to-5 office district into a thriving mixed-use district. More than a million square feet of office space was converted into residential or hotels. New office towers, apartments, and hotels further diversified the skyline. New and expanding cultural institutions, retailers, and restaurants significantly increased the volume of pedestrians on Downtown sidewalks and expanded the number of regional and national destinations.

  • Key Projects Under Construction

     

    Buck O’Neil Bridge

    A new bridge is being built to replace the Broadway Bridge. Investment – $225M

  •  

    Three Light

    A new 26-story tower with 288 apartments and 7,000 square feet of retail. Investment – $140M

  •  

    Grand Place

    Originally the bustling headquarters for the Kansas City Star newspaper, Grand Place is being reimagined into a vibrant, mixed-use destination. Investment – $90M

  •  

    Casino KC

    Rhode Island-based Bally’s Corp. will substantially renovate and modernized the former Isle of Capri casino. Investment – $61M

  •  

    The Tracks

    The seven-story, 152-unit apartment project will be located just west of the historic Freight House restaurant building. Investment – $53M

  •  

    The Mark KC

    The historic 22-story Mark Twain tower is being converted into 154 apartments and 10,000 square feet of retail. Investment – $52M

  •  

    Pennway Point

    A new entertainment district near Union Station will include a 170-foot Ferris wheel, recreational entertainment, bars, and restaurants. Investment – $26M

Development Report

World Cup Host City

Kansas City was officially named a World Cup 2026 host city as FIFA, the sport’s global governing body, announced the 16 bids selected across the United States, Mexico, and Canada to host matches for the largest event in World Cup history. An inclusive sports city with an unparalleled passion for soccer, Kansas City has earned recognition as the Soccer Capital of America with a growing collection of world-class venues, championship-winning teams, and a rich history of hosting international competitions.

$620M

Estimated Economic Impact

55M

Population within a Day’s Drive

500K

Estimated World Cup Visitors

Leasing Activity

 

Testimonials

We’re thrilled to take the next step in our rapid growth as we expand our team and scale our operations in the heart of Kansas City. The Power & Light District is the perfect place to house our newest office location.

John LindenCEO, Mythical Games

You can really get a look and feel for what Kansas City is about in the Crossroads Arts District, and so it’s going to be really cool to show that off to everyone who’s flying in from all over the country. They can get immersed in Kansas City and Scissors & Scotch all through that space.

Sean FinleyCo-Founder, Scissors & Scotch

News

January 19, 2023

LaunchKC’s Social Venture Studio searches for next entrepreneurial cohort

November 16, 2022

LaunchKC Announces Six 2022 Grants Competition Winners

November 14, 2022

Last call! Downtown KC Office Summit to explore ‘Place Matters’

November 10, 2022

Office Summit speakers, program to imagine the future of Downtown KC

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