Why Downtown?Development Office Activity State of Downtown KC Employment Talent Quality of Life Resources

From the onset of the pandemic, the story of Downtown Kansas City has been one of incredible resiliency. In the face of great challenges, we remained steadfastly hopeful because of our unrelenting dedication to building a place that offers density, walkability, and quick access to essential resources all within a modern mixed-use business district.

Downtown 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; hotel 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 full revival.

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 Concentration

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

Downtown Kansas City is uniquely positioned for outstanding access to the area’s talent pool of highly-skilled workers. With 27 colleges & universities within an hour of Downtown, businesses can recruit young, educated graduates.

Bachelor’s Degree or Higher - Downtown Residents

Bachelor’s Degree or Higher - KC MSA

Colleges & Universities
27
Within an hour commute of Downtown
Undergraduate & Graduate Students
139,581
Enrolled within an hour commute of Downtown

Bachelor’s Degree or Higher - Downtown Residents

Bachelor’s Degree or Higher - KC MSA

Colleges & Universities
27
Within an hour commute of Downtown
Undergraduate & Graduate Students
139,581
Enrolled within an hour commute of Downtown

Tech Talent Hub

Downtown’s density allows people from corporations, research institutions, and startups to intersect on a daily basis, creating numerous opportunities for innovation.

Tech Degree Completions 5-Year Growth Rate

Tech Labor Pool 5 Year Growth Rate

Tech Labor Pool
52,750
CBRE Tech Talent Report
Tech Labor Pool Growth for the Past 5 Years
9,790
CBRE Tech Talent Report
Rank - Highest % of Tech Jobs Added in 2020
#3
KC Tech Council
Rank - Highest % of Females in the Tech Industry
#3
CBRE Tech Talent Report
Rank - Fastest Growing Market - Software Developers & Programmers
#14
CBRE Tech Talent Report
Rank - Concentration of Tech Jobs as a % of Total Jobs
#24
CBRE Tech Talent Report

Incredible Renaissance

Downtown Kansas City has become a thriving, mixed-use business district. More than $9 billion in major developments have been completed or are currently under construction.

Vibrant Environment

Downtown is a thriving environment that offers density, walkability, and quick access to essential resources all within a modern mixed-use district.

9th

Downtown’s Crossroads Hotel ranked the 9th best hotel in the country by Travel + Leisure

15th

Downtown’s 21c Museum Hotel is ranked the 15th best hotel in the world by Conde Nast Traveler

Economic & 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.

22%

Share of the City’s Tax Base Generated by Downtown

34%

Share of the City’s Jobs in Downtown

42%

Share of the City’s Office Space in Downtown

10%

Share of the Region’s Labor Force in Downtown

Resilient Downtown

By the end of the first quarter of 2022, recovery in Downtown was well underway. Employment approached pre-pandemic levels; workers were returning to the office; transit ridership and hotel occupancy were rebounding; arts and cultural institutions were again welcoming audiences.

Population Increase from March 2020 - March 2022

Employee Increase from March 2020 - March 2022

Employees Added in Downtown
2,880
March 2020-March 2022
New & Retained Office Tenants in Downtown
72
March 2020-March 2022
New Restaurants & Retailers in Downtown
50
March 2020-March 2022

In the last two decades, Downtown Kansas City has been transformed from a 9-to5 office district into a thriving mixed-use downtown. More than a million square feet of office space was converted to residential or hotel. New office towers, condominiums, 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.

Development Report

Recent Deliveries

Projects Under Construction

Key Projects Planned

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.

Recent Office Leasing Transactions

Significant Office Leases – 2020 & 2021

BKD
59,552 SF
1201 Walnut
Jack Cooper Transport
24,548 SF
2345 Grand
Social Security Administration
24,407 SF
2300 Main
PayIt
22,971 SF
Lightwell
Dollar, Burns & Becker
20,564 SF
Lightwell
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of KC
18,891 SF
2300 Main
University Health
17,952 SF
2405 Grand
Tria Health
17,586 SF
Grand Place

Recent Office Leasing Transactions

Significant Office Leases – 2020 & 2021

BKD
59,552 SF
1201 Walnut
Jack Cooper Transport
24,548 SF
2345 Grand
Social Security Administration
24,407 SF
2300 Main
PayIt
22,971 SF
Lightwell
Dollar, Burns & Becker
20,564 SF
Lightwell
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of KC
18,891 SF
2300 Main
University Health
17,952 SF
2405 Grand
Tria Health
17,586 SF
Grand Place

From the onset of the pandemic, the story of Downtown Kansas City has been one of incredible resiliency. In the face of great challenges, we remained steadfastly hopeful because of our unrelenting dedication to building a place that offers density, walkability, and quick access to essential resources all within a modern mixed-use business district.

Downtown 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; hotel mixed with residential; health clubs, restaurants and retail animating ground floors.

While the Downtown Council continues to track trends by industry, the interactivity of these diverse drivers accounts to a large degree for Downtown’s success and will be key to full revival.

Economic Recovery

% of Downtown Employees Back in the Office

Population Increase from March 2020 - March 2022

New & Retained Office Tenants in Downtown
72
March 2020-March 2022
New Restaurants & Retailers in Downtown
50
March 2020-March 2022

Development

Development Completed or Under Construction
$9.1B
Cumulative Investment since 2000
Development Planned
$3.2B
Projects Announced

Project Deliveries in 2021

Artistry KC – $72 Million
Kirk Family YMCA – $35 Million
Lightwell Renovation – $20 Million
ICON at Gallerie – $12 Million
Town Pavilion Remodeling – $5 Million
19th Street Office Building – $4.5 Million
1612 Grand Building – $3.2 Million
City Water Department Building Renovation – $2.7 Million

Project Groundbreakings in 2021

Three Light – $140 Million
Casino KC – $61 Million
Continental Apartments – $52 Million
Wonderland Apartments – $50 Million
One Nine Vine – $18.1 Million

Employment

Share of the Region’s Workforce in Downtown

Share of the City’s Workforce in Downtown

Downtown Employees
113,530
ESRI Business Summary
Kansas City MSA Labor Force
1,148,190
US Bureau of Labor Statistics

Downtown Employment by Industry

Government – 19,093
Professional, Scientific & Tech Services – 17,493
Health Care & Social Assistance – 15,276
Financial Services & Information – 12,294
Wholesale & Retail Trade – 8,560
Other Services – 7,444
Real Estate – 6,586
Hospitality & Food Services – 6,584
Transportation & Utilities – 6,548
Manufacturing – 4,816
Construction – 4,664
Educational Services – 2,129
Arts & Entertainment – 2,043

Largest Downtown Employers

Blue Cross & Blue Shield
Children’s Mercy Hospital
Commerce Bank
Evergy
H&R Block
Hallmark
JE Dunn Construction
Kansas City Southern
Shook Hardy & Bacon
State Street
Spring Venture Group
UMB
University Health
US Bank
VMLY&R

Talent

50%

Bachelor’s Degree or Higher
Downtown Residents

36%

Bachelor’s Degree or Higher
KC MSA

52,750

Tech Labor Pool

9,790

Tech Labor Pool Growth
for the Past 5 Years

39%

Tech Degree Completions
5 Year Growth Rate

23%

Tech Labor Pool
5 Year Growth Rate

Colleges & Universities within an Hour of Downtown

139,581

College Students Enrolled within an Hour of Downtown

Office

Downtown Vacancy Rate

Share of the City’s Office Space

Office Space
26.5M sf
Colliers International
Class A Asking Rent
$22.98
Cushman & Wakefield

Downtown Coworking Spaces

Expansive – 1301 Oak
Hive Coworking – 512 Delaware
Office Worx KC – 111 W. 10th St.
Plexpod Crossroads – 1712 Main
Plexpod Flashcube – 720 Main
Regus at The Cosby Building – 107 W. 9th St.
Regus Crown Center – 2300 Main
Spark Kansas City – 1475 Walnut
SR Collective – 2100 Central
WeWork Corrigan Station – 1828 Walnut
WeWork Lightwell – 1100 Main

Office Space Under Construction

1400 KC – 260,000 sf
Grand Place – 225,000 sf

Housing

Downtown Occupancy Rate

Housing Units
18,858
DTC Research
Housing Units Under Construction
778
DTC Research
Housing Units Planned
5,045
DTC Research

Residential Projects Under Construction

The Continental – 202 Units
Midland Lofts – 139 Units
One Nine Vine – 80 Units
Three Light – 288 Units
Wonderland Apartments – 228 Units

Downtown Residents

32,247

Downtown Residential Population

42,442

Projected Residential Population – 2030

79%

Increase in Population
since 2010
Downtown KC

13%

Increase in Population
since 2010
Johnson County, KS

52%

% of Millennials in Downtown Population

29%

% of Millennials in KC MSA Population

Retail

Percent of Population Between the Ages of 20-44

Average Household Income
$71,772
ESRI Market Report
Bars, Restaurants & Retailers
310
DTC Research
Bars, Restaurants & Retailers that Opened in 2021
24
DTC Research

Transportation

Total KC Streetcar Ridership
10,049,021
Source: KC Streetcar
2022 KC Streetcar Average Daily Ridership
3,222
Source: KC Streetcar
RideKC Bus Routes in Downtown
38
Source: RideKC

Average Commute Times

United States – 27.6 minutes
Kansas City – 23.5 minutes
Columbus – 25.0 minutes
Minneapolis – 26.1 minutes
Dallas – 28.6 minutes
Atlanta – 32.5 minutes
San Francisco – 35.2 minutes
New York – 37.7 minutes

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.

Downtown Residents - Bachelor’s Degree or Higher

KC MSA - Bachelor’s Degree or Higher

Tech Labor Pool - 5 Year Growth Rate

Tech Degree Completions - 5 Year Growth Rate

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.

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.

52000 Talent Pool
52000 Talent Pool

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

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?

As businesses make decisions about their future, we are extending the strength of our region – Downtown Kansas City – a vibrant live-work dynamic where residents and employees have jobs, entertainment, community, and recreation at their doorstep. We encourage you to join us; reach out and tell us how we can best support your relocation to Downtown Kansas City.