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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

  • Downtown Kansas City has become a thriving, modern, mixed-use district. Vibrant urban living in historic neighborhoods are attracting residents and workers who want to enjoy Downtown’s expansive array of cultural, entertainment, and recreation options.

Exceptional Access to 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, businesses can recruit young, educated graduates.

Thriving Business Center

  • Downtown is the prime driver of Kansas City’s economy, where 34% of all the City’s jobs are concentrated. Downtown has more than 110,000 wage and salaried workers, 26.5 million square feet of commercial office space and 240,110 square feet of coworking space, making it the largest business district in the region.

Prioritizing Health & Wellness

  • Downtown’s density allows for a concentration of resources and social services. Nurtured by "social infrastructure" such as libraries, schools, grocery stores, and parks - Downtown generates lifesaving networks of social ties that combat isolation and build community.

Innovation Hub

  • Accelerators, coworking spaces, universities, and an educated workforce convene in Downtown to create an innovative ecosystem. Downtown’s density allows people from corporations, research institutions, and startups to intersect on a daily basis, creating numerous opportunities for innovation.

Unparalleled Connectivity

  • Downtown is positioned at the center of a multimodal regional system, consisting of 38 bus routes, 3 bus rapid transit lines, and a streetcar route. Downtown is served well by a regional highway network, connecting seamlessly with five major interstates, providing direct access to a labor force of more than 1.1 million people.

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
    $9.1B
    Source: DTC Research
  • Development Planned
    $2.6B
    Source: DTC Research
  • Residential Population - 2021
    31,664
    Source: US Census & DTC Research
  • Projected Residential Population - 2025
    38,685
    Source: US Census & DTC Research
  • Housing Units
    18,517
    Source: DTC Research
  • Housing Units Under Construction
    697
    Source: DTC Research
  • Housing Units Planned
    3,409
    Source: DTC Research
Percent of Millennials in Downtown Population
0%
Percent of Millennials in KC MSA
0%
Increase in Population since 2010
0%
Projected % Increase in Population - 2021 to 2025
0%
  • Downtown Employees
    110,615
    Source: ESRI
  • Office Space
    26.5M sf
    Source: Colliers International
  • Office Space Under Construction
    510,000 sf
    Source: Colliers International
  • Coworking Space
    254,610 sf
    Source: KC Business Journal
  • Average Rent - Class A
    $21.52
    Source: Colliers International
  • Average Rent - Class B
    $18.46
    Source: Colliers International
  • Average Rent - Class C
    $16.35
    Source: Colliers International
Class A Vacancy Rate - 4Q 2020
0%
Class B Vacancy Rate - 4Q 2020
0%
Share of the City’s Office Space Downtown
0%
Share of the City’s Jobs Downtown
0%
  • Median Home Price - United States
    $313,500
    Source: NAR, 3Q 2020
  • Median Home Price - Kansas City
    $252,200
    Source: NAR, 3Q 2020
  • Median Home Price - Columbus
    $252,100
    Source: NAR, 3Q 2020
  • Median Home Price - Dallas
    $294,200
    Source: NAR, 3Q 2020
  • Median Home Price - Minneapolis
    $324,500
    Source: NAR, 3Q 2020
  • Median Home Price - Atlanta
    $271,800
    Source: NAR, 3Q 2020
  • Median Home Price - New York
    $479,900
    Source: NAR, 3Q 2020
  • Median Home Price - San Francisco
    $1,125,000
    Source: NAR, 3Q 2020
Percent Home Ownership - KC
0%
Percent Home Ownership - USA
0%
  • Average Commute Time - United States
    27.6 minutes
    Source: TomTom Trac Index, 2019
  • Average Commute Time - Kansas City
    23.5 minutes
    Source: TomTom Trac Index, 2019
  • Average Commute Time - Columbus
    25.0 minutes
    Source: TomTom Trac Index, 2019
  • Average Commute Time - Minneapolis
    26.1 minutes
    Source: TomTom Trac Index, 2019
  • Average Commute Time - Dallas
    28.6 minutes
    Source: TomTom Trac Index, 2019
  • Average Commute Time - Atlanta
    32.5 minutes
    Source: TomTom Trac Index, 2019
  • Average Commute Time - San Francisco
    35.2 minutes
    Source: TomTom Trac Index, 2019
  • Average Commute Time - New York
    37.7 minutes
    Source: TomTom Trac Index, 2019
12%

% of Commute in Traffic
Kansas City, MO

16%

% of Commute in Traffic
Columbus, OH

17%

% of Commute in Traffic
Minneapolis, MN

  • Cost of Living - United States
    100.0
    Source: The Council for Community & Economic Research, 3Q 2020
  • Cost of Living Index - Kansas City
    94.3
    Source: The Council for Community & Economic Research, 3Q 2020
  • Cost of Living - Columbus
    90.3
    Source: The Council for Community & Economic Research, 3Q 2020
  • Cost of Living - Minneapolis
    104.9
    Source: The Council for Community & Economic Research, 3Q 2020
  • Cost of Living - Dallas
    108.5
    Source: The Council for Community & Economic Research, 3Q 2020
  • Cost of Living - Atlanta
    101.6
    Source: The Council for Community & Economic Research, 3Q 2020
  • Cost of Living - San Francisco
    194.5
    Source: The Council for Community & Economic Research, 3Q 2020
  • Cost of Living - New York
    248.6
    Source: The Council for Community & Economic Research, 3Q 2020
#1

Best City for Remote Workers
Kansas City, MO
FinanaceBuzz, August 2020

#2

City for Creatives
Kansas City, MO
Thrillist, May 2020

#5

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 Coworking
    42,810 sf
    1301 Oak
  • 2. Office Worx
    111 W. 9th St.
  • 3. Plexpod - Crossroads
    16,800 sf
    1712 Main
  • 4. Plexpod - Downtown
    18,000 sf
    720 Main
  • 5. Plexpod - River Market
    10,000 sf
    512 Delaware
  • 6. Regus - Cosby Building
    107 W. 9th St.
  • 7. Regus - Crown Center
    2300 Main
  • 8. Spark KC
    15,000 sf
    1475 Walnut
  • 9. SR Collective
    2100 Central
  • 10. WeWork - Corrigan Station
    44,000 sf
    1828 Walnut
  • 11. WeWork - Lightwell
    101,000 sf
    1100 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.

  • Architecture
  • Construction
  • Coworking Spaces
  • Engineering
  • Financial Services
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Legal
  • Marketing & Communications
  • Technology

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 Population
    2,157,990
    Kansas City MSA
  • Total Labor Force
    1,133,600
    Kansas City MSA
  • Tech Labor Pool
    52,750
    Source: CBRE
  • Tech Labor Pool Growth
    9,790
    Growth by Volume, Past 5 Years, Source: CBRE
  • Tech Labor Pool Growth Rank
    9
    Highest Growth, Top 50 Markets, Source: CBRE
  • Tech Degree Completions
    1,335
    Tech Degree Completions 2018, Source: CBRE
  • Colleges & Universities
    27
    Within an hour commute of Downtown
  • Undergraduate & Graduate Students
    139,581
    Enrolled within an hour commute of Downtown
Downtown Residents - Bachelor’s Degree or Higher
0%
KC MSA - Bachelor’s Degree or Higher
0%
Tech Labor Pool - 5 Year Growth Rate
0%
Tech Degree Completions - 5 Year Growth Rate
0%

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 University
    1,649
    Kansas City, Missouri
  • Baker University
    2,769
    Baldwin City, KS
  • Benedictine College
    2,124
    Atchison, Kansas
  • DeVry University
    70
    Kansas City, Missouri
  • Donnelly College
    303
    Kansas City, Kansas
  • Haskell Indian Nations University
    733
    Lawrence, Kansas
  • Hillyard Technical Center
    70
    St. Joseph, Missouri
  • Johnson County Community College
    18,278
    Overland Park, Kansas
  • Kansas City Art Institute
    672
    Kansas City, Missouri
  • Kansas City Kansas Community College
    5,998
    Kansas City, Kansas
  • Kansas City University of Medicine & Biosciences
    1,210
    Kansas City, Missouri
  • Metropolitan Community College
    15,770
    Multiple Locations
  • MidAmerica Nazarene University
    1,875
    Olathe, Kansas
  • Missouri Western State University
    5,669
    St. Joseph, Missouri
  • Ottawa University
    754
    Ottawa, Kansas
  • Park University
    11,415
    Parkville, Missouri
  • Pinnacle Career Institute
    356
    Kansas City, Missouri
  • Rockhurst University
    16,375
    Kansas City, Missouri
  • University of Central Missouri
    11,487
    Warrensburg, Missouri
  • University of Kansas
    27,690
    Lawrence, Kansas
  • University of Kansas - Edwards Campus
    2,101
    Overland Park, KS
  • University of Missouri Kansas City
    16,375
    Kansas City, Missouri
  • University of Missouri Kansas City - Health Sciences District
    3,311
    Kansas City, Missouri
  • University of Saint Mary
    1,254
    Leavenworth, Kansas
  • Washburn University
    6,571
    Topeka, Kansas
  • Washburn Institute of Technology
    1,480
    Topeka, Kansas
  • William Jewell College
    808
    Liberty, 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

  • Grace Real Estate Building
    3,192 sf
    511 Delaware

Central Business District

  • 1201 Walnut
    1,411 - 50,720 sf
    1201 Walnut
  • Baltimore Square
    1,020 - 4,370 sf
    106 W. 9th St.
  • Block 89 Building
    15,289 - 87,488 sf
    333 W. 11th St.
  • Bonfils Building
    1,423 - 18,675 sf
    1200 Grand Blvd.
  • Catholic Diocese Building
    2,500 - 57,189 sf
    20 W. 9th St.
  • Harzfeld’s Building
    3,775 sf
    1111 Main
  • Lightwell
    606 - 228,032 sf
    1100 Main
  • Scarritt Arcade
    150 - 7,500 sf
    819 Walnut
  • Strata
    262,656 sf
    13th & Main
  • Temple Office Building
    5,000 - 50,000 sf
    901 Grand Blvd.
  • Town Pavilion
    1,295 - 97,724 sf
    1100 Walnut
  • Trolly Park Building
    1,260 sf
    412 W. 8th St.

Crossroads Arts District

  • 214 West 18th
    2,250- 4,616 sf
    214 W. 18th St.
  • 1612 Grand
    5,000 - 10,000 sf
    1612 Grand Blvd.
  • 1718 Baltimore
    4,500 sf
    1718 Baltimore
  • 1801 Oak
    8,285 sf
    1801 Oak
  • 1805 Locust
    1,000 - 7,800 sf
    1805 Locust
  • 1815 McGee
    3,450 sf
    1815 McGee
  • 1816 Walnut
    1,254 sf
    1816 Walnut
  • Consell Typesetting Building
    3,200 sf
    1903 Wyandotte
  • Corrigan Station
    691 - 15,264 sf
    1881 Main
  • Grand Place
    1,000 - 168,211 sf
    1729 Grand Blvd.
  • Lowe & Campbell Building
    7,500 - 22,500 sf
    1511 Baltimore
  • Paramount Pictures Building
    195 - 2,738 sf
    1800 Wyandotte
  • Vitagraph Film Exchange Building
    3,859 - 7,331 sf
    1703 Wyandotte

Greater Downtown Districts

  • 2000 Vine
    4,600 - 18,582 sf
    2000 Vine
  • Livestock Exchange Building
    2,977 - 11,250 sf
    1600 Genessee
  • Pershing Building
    5,000 - 33,472 sf
    215 W. Pershing
  • Sewall Paint Building
    1,434 - 9,962 sf
    1009 W. 8th St.
  • HyVee Arena
    213 - 41,595 sf
    1800 Genessee

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 District
    2020
    KC Streetcar Impact
  • Streetcar Development Map - Crossroads Arts District
    2020
    KC Streetcar Impact
  • Streetcar Development Map - River Market
    2020
    KC Streetcar Impact
  • Downtown Kansas City Development & Housing Report
    2021
    DTC Research
  • Downtown Business Summary
    2020
    ESRI 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

  • Downtown Kansas City emerged as a location of choice for recent college graduates, drawn by job growth and easy access to restaurants, nightlife, entertainment, healthcare, and other urban amenities.
  • Population growth has been driven by 20 to 34 year olds, who comprise 43% of residents in Downtown Kansas City as compared to 22% in the region.

Thriving Arts Scene

  • Downtown is the regional center for art, culture, and entertainment with an exciting offering of art galleries, museums, theaters, and performing arts venues.
  • First Friday, attracting tens of thousands of people each month, boasts local artists, galleries, makers within a festive atmosphere that includes street performers and live music throughout the Crossroads Arts District.

Premier Events

  • On average, there are hundreds of events every month in Downtown Kansas City. Large Downtown events and festivals include 18th Street Fashion Show, Big12 Men’s Basketball Tournament, Celebration at the Station, City Market, Boulevardia, Downtown Dazzle, First Friday, Fringe Festival, Irish Fest, Middle of the Map Festival.

Culinary Excellence

  • Downtown Kansas City is the region‘s center for the finest culinary destinations, offering a great assortment of restaurants, outdoor cafés, rooftop bars, and cuisines from all over the globe. It’s a foodie’s paradise.
  • Downtown offers fine dining, fast casual fare, and chef-driven food halls. Local award-winning chefs stand alongside young entrepreneurs and national brands.

Award-Winning Education

  • Downtown Kansas City is home to Crossroads Charter Schools, a network of three tuition-free charter schools offering award-winning K-12 education.
  • Metropolitan Community College offers degrees and certificates in healthcare, education, graphic design, music, criminal justice, and cybersecurity.
  • The UMKC Health Sciences District is a premier academic health district engaging in cutting-edge biomedical research and educating the next generation of healthcare professionals.

World-Class Healthcare

  • The highest concentration of health science workers and services in the region. Downtown is home to the UMKC Health Science District with more than 3,300 students and 12,800 employees.
  • The District represents a collaboration between the UMKC, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Truman Medical Center, Ronald McDonald House, and local health departments, advancing health care, research, community outreach, and shared wellness.

Beautiful Parks & Open Space

  • Downtown Kansas City’s walkability, bike lanes, open spaces, and parks build exercise and recreation into everyday life, improving physical and mental health.
  • Downtown’s walkability score is 96 and offers an exceptional quality of life for its employees placing jobs, housing, restaurants, entertainment, and parks within steps from each other.

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

Downtown Cut Sheets

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.

Business Attraction Presentation

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.

Research & Reports

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.

Downtown Parking Maps

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.

Downtown Retail Directory

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.

Downtown Dining Map

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.

Downtown Events

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 Missouri
    816-513-1313
  • Digital Sandbox
    816-235-6676
  • Economic Development Corporation
    816-221-0636
  • Greater Kansas City LISC
    816-753-0055
  • Kansas City Area Development Council
    816-221-2121
  • Kansas City BizCare Office
    816-513-2492
  • Kansas City Black Chamber of Commerce
    816-474-9901
  • Kansas City Chamber of Commerce
    816-221-2424
  • Kansas City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
    816-472-6767
  • Kauffman Foundation
    816-932-1000
  • KC SourceLink
    816-235-6500
  • LaunchKC Accelerators
    816-421-1539
  • Mid-America LGBT Chamber of Commerce
    816-474-3558
  • Missouri Department of Economic Development
    573-751-4962
  • Missouri Housing Development Commission
    816-759-6600
  • Missouri Technology Corporation
    573-526-0470
  • Startland News
    913-396-9722
  • UMKC Small Business and Technology Development Center
    816-235-6063

Financial Incentives

BUILD Program

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

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.

Chapter 353 Program

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.

Enhanced Enterprise Zone

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.

Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority

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.

Opportunity Zones

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.

Historic Preservation Tax Credits

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.

Missouri Works

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.

New Market Tax Credits

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.

Planned Industrial Expansion Authority

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

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.

Interested in moving Downtown?

The Downtown Council of Kansas City is happy to help you locate the right office or retail space, provide demographic and development information, conduct Downtown tours or employee/welcome orientations. We are here to help, please contact us below.

  • Tommy Wilson, Business Recruitment

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.

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