Place Matters
Here in Downtown Kansas City, we are acutely aware of the gravity of the situation we find ourselves in because of COVID-19. Yet even in the face of uncertainty, we remain steadfastly hopeful – hopeful because of our unrelenting dedication to human health and building an environment that offers density, walkability, and quick access to essential resources all within a modern mixed-use business district.
Today, more than ever, place matters to the future of our businesses and livelihood. So we invite you to locate your business in a place attracting millennials seeking a vibrant urban lifestyle, a place where companies can recruit from an educated, highly-skilled workforce, and a place that prioritizes the health and well-being of our community. This is Downtown Kansas City. A place to begin, a place to grow. Below are just a few reasons why businesses are relocating to Downtown Kansas City.
Vibrant Environment
Exceptional Access to Talent
Thriving Business Center
Prioritizing Health & Wellness
Innovation Hub
Unparalleled Connectivity
Why Downtown KC?
Why is Downtown Kansas City such an attractive location for businesses?
Downtown Kansas City Market
Over the past 20 years, Downtown has been transformed from a 9-to-5 office district into a dynamic, mixed-use setting for business, innovation, education, cultural and civic activity, as well as one of the fastest-growing residential locations in the region. Fifty percent of Downtown residents have a bachelor’s degree (BA) or higher. Downtown Kansas City has a highly educated and skilled working population for management consulting, financial, legal, real estate, engineering, medical, creative, and technology firms
- Development Completed or Under Construction$9.1BSource: DTC Research
- Development Planned$2.6BSource: DTC Research
- Residential Population - 202131,664Source: US Census & DTC Research
- Projected Residential Population - 202538,685Source: US Census & DTC Research
- Housing Units18,517Source: DTC Research
- Housing Units Under Construction697Source: DTC Research
- Housing Units Planned3,409Source: DTC Research
- Downtown Employees110,615Source: ESRI
- Office Space26.5M sfSource: Colliers International
- Office Space Under Construction510,000 sfSource: Colliers International
- Coworking Space254,610 sfSource: KC Business Journal
- Average Rent - Class A$21.52Source: Colliers International
- Average Rent - Class B$18.46Source: Colliers International
- Average Rent - Class C$16.35Source: Colliers International
- Median Home Price - United States$313,500Source: NAR, 3Q 2020
- Median Home Price - Kansas City$252,200Source: NAR, 3Q 2020
- Median Home Price - Columbus$252,100Source: NAR, 3Q 2020
- Median Home Price - Dallas$294,200Source: NAR, 3Q 2020
- Median Home Price - Minneapolis$324,500Source: NAR, 3Q 2020
- Median Home Price - Atlanta$271,800Source: NAR, 3Q 2020
- Median Home Price - New York$479,900Source: NAR, 3Q 2020
- Median Home Price - San Francisco$1,125,000Source: NAR, 3Q 2020
- Average Commute Time - United States27.6 minutesSource: TomTom Trac Index, 2019
- Average Commute Time - Kansas City23.5 minutesSource: TomTom Trac Index, 2019
- Average Commute Time - Columbus25.0 minutesSource: TomTom Trac Index, 2019
- Average Commute Time - Minneapolis26.1 minutesSource: TomTom Trac Index, 2019
- Average Commute Time - Dallas28.6 minutesSource: TomTom Trac Index, 2019
- Average Commute Time - Atlanta32.5 minutesSource: TomTom Trac Index, 2019
- Average Commute Time - San Francisco35.2 minutesSource: TomTom Trac Index, 2019
- Average Commute Time - New York37.7 minutesSource: TomTom Trac Index, 2019
% of Commute in Traffic
Kansas City, MO
% of Commute in Traffic
Columbus, OH
% of Commute in Traffic
Minneapolis, MN
- Cost of Living - United States100.0Source: The Council for Community & Economic Research, 3Q 2020
- Cost of Living Index - Kansas City94.3Source: The Council for Community & Economic Research, 3Q 2020
- Cost of Living - Columbus90.3Source: The Council for Community & Economic Research, 3Q 2020
- Cost of Living - Minneapolis104.9Source: The Council for Community & Economic Research, 3Q 2020
- Cost of Living - Dallas108.5Source: The Council for Community & Economic Research, 3Q 2020
- Cost of Living - Atlanta101.6Source: The Council for Community & Economic Research, 3Q 2020
- Cost of Living - San Francisco194.5Source: The Council for Community & Economic Research, 3Q 2020
- Cost of Living - New York248.6Source: The Council for Community & Economic Research, 3Q 2020
Best City for Remote Workers
Kansas City, MO
FinanaceBuzz, August 2020
City for Creatives
Kansas City, MO
Thrillist, May 2020
Up & Coming Tech Hotspot
Kansas City, MO
Livability, April 2019
Downtown Coworking Spaces
Coworking has become a stronger force in Downtown’s real estate, with more than 254,000 square feet of the office market controlled by coworking tenants. The product offering has helped accelerate the growth of Downtown Kansas City, providing quick, easy, and quality options for companies, big and small, to test the market.
- 1. Novel Coworking42,810 sf1301 Oak
- 2. Office Worx111 W. 9th St.
- 3. Plexpod - Crossroads16,800 sf1712 Main
- 4. Plexpod - Downtown18,000 sf720 Main
- 5. Plexpod - River Market10,000 sf512 Delaware
- 6. Regus - Cosby Building107 W. 9th St.
- 7. Regus - Crown Center2300 Main
- 8. Spark KC15,000 sf1475 Walnut
- 9. SR Collective2100 Central
- 10. WeWork - Corrigan Station44,000 sf1828 Walnut
- 11. WeWork - Lightwell101,000 sf1100 Main
Downtown Employment
At the center of Kansas City’s economy is Downtown, where 34% of the City’s jobs are located with a strong concentration of the highest paying industry sectors. Throughout Downtown Kansas City, 36% of all jobs are in the Finance, Insurance, Health Care, and Professional, Scientific, and Tech Services; making diversification a defining strength of Downtown’s economy. Federal, state, and local government employment hold a 17% share of Downtown jobs. Together, these sectors comprise the prime occupants in Downtown’s 26.5 million square feet of office space.
Professional, Scientific & Tech Services
- Professional, Scientific, and Tech Services is one of Downtown Kansas City’s leading industries sectors. This broad category of jobs includes accountants, architects, engineers, lawyers, scientific researchers, and advertisers.
- National research shows this sector is expected to be the most resilient to the recession.
Health Care & Social Assistance
- Downtown Kansas City is home to the UMKC Health Sciences District with more than 3,300 students and 12,800 employees, the highest concentration of health science workers in the region.
- Downtown’s Health Sciences District represents a collaboration between the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Truman Medical Center, Ronald McDonald House, and local health departments, advancing health care, research, community outreach, and shared wellness.
- Downtown Kansas City’s density allows for a concentration of resources and social services. Employees and residents have quick access to hospitals, urgent care centers, and health care.
High Tech
- Kansas City is the 8th fastest growing market for tech talent in the country adding 6,040 degrees and 10,870 tech jobs in the last five years.
- Kansas City is the 12th fastest growing market for software developers in the country in the last four years.
- Kansas City ranks 15th in the country in tech talent jobs as a percent of total jobs at 5%.
- Innovation drivers in Downtown include the UMKC Health Sciences District, Keystone Labs, LaunchKC Accelerators, Digital Sandbox, Rise KC, and Techstars Kansas City.
Relocations & Expansions
Largest Downtown Employers
Largest Tech Companies Downtown
Downtown Office Tenants
Downtown Kansas City has been the region’s commercial center and home to traditional industries like banking and law since its beginning. Now, Downtown is also becoming Kansas City’s center for creativity, innovation, and health care. This mix of companies, from entrepreneurial startups to corporate headquarters, and range of industries, from design+build, marketing, and technology, is making Downtown Kansas City a dynamic hub of creativity and a fertile ground for launching new ventures and growing existing businesses. A sample of Downtown Kansas City’s office tenants are displayed on the map below.
Industry Sectors
Below is a list of industry sectors with a strong, concentrated presence in Downtown. To the right is a map displaying some of the businesses within those sectors.
Talent
Downtown Kansas City is uniquely positioned for outstanding access to the area’s talent pool of diverse, dynamic, and highly-skilled workers. With 27 colleges & universities within an hour of Downtown Kansas City, businesses can recruit young, educated graduates as well as offer a wide array of continuing education opportunities for their employees.
Fifty percent of Downtown residents have a Bachelor’s Degree or Higher, outpacing the Kansas City metropolitan region’s rate of 36%. Downtown has a highly educated and skilled working population for management, consulting, financial, legal, architectural, engineering, medical, creative, technology firms.
- Total Population2,157,990Kansas City MSA
- Total Labor Force1,133,600Kansas City MSA
- Tech Labor Pool52,750Source: CBRE
- Tech Labor Pool Growth9,790Growth by Volume, Past 5 Years, Source: CBRE
- Tech Labor Pool Growth Rank9Highest Growth, Top 50 Markets, Source: CBRE
- Tech Degree Completions1,335Tech Degree Completions 2018, Source: CBRE
- Colleges & Universities27Within an hour commute of Downtown
- Undergraduate & Graduate Students139,581Enrolled within an hour commute of Downtown
University Enrollment
The region’s 27 institutions of higher education collectively enroll more than 139,000 undergraduate and graduate students including 3,311 at UMKC’s Health Sciences District located in Downtown Kansas City. Fifty percent of Downtown residents have a Bachelor’s Degree or Higher, outpacing the Kansas City metropolitan region’s rate of 36%. Below is a list of four-year colleges and universities located within an hour of Downtown Kansas City.
- Avila University1,649Kansas City, Missouri
- Baker University2,769Baldwin City, KS
- Benedictine College2,124Atchison, Kansas
- DeVry University70Kansas City, Missouri
- Donnelly College303Kansas City, Kansas
- Haskell Indian Nations University733Lawrence, Kansas
- Hillyard Technical Center70St. Joseph, Missouri
- Johnson County Community College18,278Overland Park, Kansas
- Kansas City Art Institute672Kansas City, Missouri
- Kansas City Kansas Community College5,998Kansas City, Kansas
- Kansas City University of Medicine & Biosciences1,210Kansas City, Missouri
- Metropolitan Community College15,770Multiple Locations
- MidAmerica Nazarene University1,875Olathe, Kansas
- Missouri Western State University5,669St. Joseph, Missouri
- Ottawa University754Ottawa, Kansas
- Park University11,415Parkville, Missouri
- Pinnacle Career Institute356Kansas City, Missouri
- Rockhurst University16,375Kansas City, Missouri
- University of Central Missouri11,487Warrensburg, Missouri
- University of Kansas27,690Lawrence, Kansas
- University of Kansas - Edwards Campus2,101Overland Park, KS
- University of Missouri Kansas City16,375Kansas City, Missouri
- University of Missouri Kansas City - Health Sciences District3,311Kansas City, Missouri
- University of Saint Mary1,254Leavenworth, Kansas
- Washburn University6,571Topeka, Kansas
- Washburn Institute of Technology1,480Topeka, Kansas
- William Jewell College808Liberty, Missouri
Office Space
Downtown Kansas City has a wealth of office properties ranging from reimagined highrises and restored historical structures to repurposed manufacturing and warehouse buildings. With millions of square feet of space available, Downtown Kansas City offers an abundance of choice with the convenience of connected urban living.
River Market
Central Business District
- 1201 Walnut1,411 - 50,720 sf1201 Walnut
- Baltimore Square1,020 - 4,370 sf106 W. 9th St.
- Block 89 Building15,289 - 87,488 sf333 W. 11th St.
- Bonfils Building1,423 - 18,675 sf1200 Grand Blvd.
- Catholic Diocese Building2,500 - 57,189 sf20 W. 9th St.
- Harzfeld’s Building3,775 sf1111 Main
- Lightwell606 - 228,032 sf1100 Main
- Scarritt Arcade150 - 7,500 sf819 Walnut
- Strata262,656 sf13th & Main
- Temple Office Building5,000 - 50,000 sf901 Grand Blvd.
- Town Pavilion1,295 - 97,724 sf1100 Walnut
- Trolly Park Building1,260 sf412 W. 8th St.
Crossroads Arts District
- 214 West 18th2,250- 4,616 sf214 W. 18th St.
- 1612 Grand5,000 - 10,000 sf1612 Grand Blvd.
- 1718 Baltimore4,500 sf1718 Baltimore
- 1801 Oak8,285 sf1801 Oak
- 1805 Locust1,000 - 7,800 sf1805 Locust
- 1815 McGee3,450 sf1815 McGee
- 1816 Walnut1,254 sf1816 Walnut
- Consell Typesetting Building3,200 sf1903 Wyandotte
- Corrigan Station691 - 15,264 sf1881 Main
- Grand Place1,000 - 168,211 sf1729 Grand Blvd.
- Lowe & Campbell Building7,500 - 22,500 sf1511 Baltimore
- Paramount Pictures Building195 - 2,738 sf1800 Wyandotte
- Vitagraph Film Exchange Building3,859 - 7,331 sf1703 Wyandotte
Greater Downtown Districts
Development
Downtown Kansas City has become a thriving, mixed-use business district. Vibrant urban living and a broad range of housing types in historic neighborhoods are attracting residents and workers who want to enjoy Downtown’s expansive array of cultural, entertainment, dining, and recreation options. Construction cranes are transforming Downtown. More than $9 billion in major developments have been completed or are currently under construction in Downtown Kansas City.
- Streetcar Development Map - Central Business District2020KC Streetcar Impact
- Streetcar Development Map - Crossroads Arts District2020KC Streetcar Impact
- Streetcar Development Map - River Market2020KC Streetcar Impact
- Downtown Kansas City Development & Housing Report2021DTC Research
- Downtown Business Summary2020ESRI Market Data
Downtown Renaissance
More than $9 billion dollars of investment have transformed Downtown Kansas City.
Downtown KC
Check out all the exciting districts, neighborhoods, and attractions in Downtown Kansas City!
Experience Downtown Kansas City
Downtown Kansas City has become a thriving, modern, mixed-use district. Vibrant urban living and a broad range of housing types in historic neighborhoods are attracting residents and workers who want to enjoy Downtown’s expansive array of cultural, entertainment, dining, and recreation options. Downtown Kansas City has many public parks that add greenery and enliven neighborhoods, offering a welcome reprieve from the bustling streets. Downtown’s world-class attractions have turned Kansas City into a major tourist destination and created a dynamic environment for residents of all ages to live, work and play.
Growing Residential Population
Thriving Arts Scene
Premier Events
Culinary Excellence
Award-Winning Education
World-Class Healthcare
Beautiful Parks & Open Space
Downtown Neighborhoods
Downtown Kansas City is a collection of vibrant districts with great housing options in charming, historic neighborhoods, each with its own unique character and atmosphere. Downtown neighborhoods offer easy access to jobs, cultural venues, great shopping, and day-to-day amenities by foot, bike, public transit, or car. Each neighborhood offers diverse choices for residents of all ages and at all stages of life.
Contact Us
The Downtown Council also offers a range of services and materials to help commercial real estate brokers, companies and other stakeholders understand Downtown Kansas City’s revitalization and premier work environment. Please contact us to see how we can help you or for any additional questions.
Downtown Resources
These cut sheets are full of facts and data that provide brokers, site selectors, and businesses with a quick overview of Downtown Kansas City’s thriving business environment.
Business Engagement
Whether it’s a Downtown tour, help finding the right location for your business, a space to debrief with clients, or conducting employee/welcome orientations, the Downtown Council is here to help. Please contact us to see how we can help you or for any additional questions.
The Business Attraction presentation deck provides a brief State of Downtown report, summary of Downtown’s renaissance, as well as a snapshot all the amenities available to employees within a short walk or streetcar ride from their office. The presentation also addresses parking, safety, and projects in the development pipeline.
Our Research & Reports page provides a number of reports, plans, as well as our State of Downtown Dashboard to help you better understand the Downtwon environment and ongoing renaissance.
Our Downtown Parking Maps display all the parking garages and the number of available parking spots in the River Market, Central Business District, and Crossroads Arts District. The maps also display attractions, hotels, and parks as well as the KC Streetcar route and stops within each district.
Our Downtown Retail Directory provides a comprehensive list of all restaurants, bars, coffee shops, hotels, apartments, retail shops and services located in Downtown Kansas City.
The Downtown Dining Map provides a comprehensive list all the restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and attractions by Downtown district/neighborhood. The map is updated annually by the Downtown Council, Visit KC, and the KC Streetcar.
Employees can stay updated on all the fun events and activities happening every day of the week in Kansas City’s vibrant Downtown.
Business Resources
- City of Kansas City Missouri816-513-1313
- Digital Sandbox816-235-6676
- Economic Development Corporation816-221-0636
- Greater Kansas City LISC816-753-0055
- Kansas City Area Development Council816-221-2121
- Kansas City BizCare Office816-513-2492
- Kansas City Black Chamber of Commerce816-474-9901
- Kansas City Chamber of Commerce816-221-2424
- Kansas City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce816-472-6767
- Kauffman Foundation816-932-1000
- KC SourceLink816-235-6500
- LaunchKC Accelerators816-421-1539
- Mid-America LGBT Chamber of Commerce816-474-3558
- Missouri Department of Economic Development573-751-4962
- Missouri Housing Development Commission816-759-6600
- Missouri Technology Corporation573-526-0470
- Startland News913-396-9722
- UMKC Small Business and Technology Development Center816-235-6063
Financial Incentives
The BUILD program is an incentive designed to reduce necessary infrastructure and equipment expenses if a project can demonstrate a need for funding. An eligible business must invest a minimum of $10 million appropriated to the necessary industry sectors and create a minimum of 500 jobs.
Chapter 100 bonds may be issued by the City to assist with the construction or rehabilitation of eligible commercial facilities. To affect property tax exemption, the City will take titular ownership of the business assets, therefore, providing property and/or sales tax exemption for up to 10 years.
The Chapter 353 Program was created to assist in the removal of blight by providing local property tax abatement to projects located within an Urban Renewal Area (URA). Assistance may be provided in the form of real property tax abatement on improvements up to 75% for a 10-year period and 37.5% for a 15-year period.
Designed to encourage job creation, the Enhanced Enterprise Zone (EEZ) provides state tax credits and local property tax abatement to new or expanding businesses located within an EEZ. Eligible businesses may receive a standard 50% property tax abatement for improvement made to real property.
The Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority (LCRA) has served as the City’s urban renewal agency since 1951. Authorized by Missouri state statutes, the LCRA encourages redevelopment through the removal of blight and blighting conditions within designated Urban Renewal Areas.
The Opportunity Zones program encourages long-term investment and job creation in low-income areas of the state, by allowing investors to re-invest unrealized capital gains in designated census tracts.
The State of Missouri provides state tax credits equal to 25% of eligible expenses for the rehabilitation of approved commercial and residential historic structures. This program has been critical to the revitalization of Downtown through the redevelopment of housing, offices, and hotels.
The purpose of the Missouri Works program is to facilitate the creation of quality jobs by targeted business projects. Program benefits include the retention of the state withholding tax of the new jobs and/or state tax credits, which are refundable, transferable and/or saleable.
Federal New Market Tax Credits (NMTC) may be available to eligible businesses providing non-traditional financing for capital investments made by businesses and for development in distressed areas.
The Planned Industrial Expansion Authority (PIEA) provides incentives encouraging the investment and removal of blight and blighting conditions within PIEA Plan areas. This incentive has played a critical and important role in the revitalization of Downtown Kansas City.
Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is a financing tool that allows future real property taxes and other taxes generated by new development to pay for the cost of construction for public infrastructure and other improvements. This is designed to encourage the development of blighted areas.
Downtown Council
The Downtown Council (DTC) is a private, nonprofit membership organization representing Kansas City’s best businesses, property owners, nonprofit organizations, and anyone who is invested in Downtown’s success.