In recent years, Downtown Kansas City, Missouri, USA, has been undergoing a massive "boom" in renovations and new construction. Over 3,000 people have moved downtown since 2000. Since 2000, the estimated cost of these projects has totaled over $4 billion. In 2005, Downtown had an estimated population of 16,170 people, up by approximately 3,000 four years earlier. Downtown Kansas City, Missouri is defined by the Downtown Council and City Hall officials as to include the entire area from the Missouri River, south to 31st Street ; and from I-35 east to Bruce Watkins Drive (U.S. Highway 71). ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Fountains or Heart of America Location Location in Jackson, Clay, Platte, and Cass Counties in the state of Missouri. ... Official language(s) None Capital Jefferson City Largest city Kansas City Largest metro area St. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

See Also: Downtown Kansas City Downtown Kansas City, Missouri is defined by the Downtown Council and City Hall officials as to include the entire area from the Missouri River, south to 31st Street ; and from I-35 east to Bruce Watkins Drive (U.S. Highway 71). ...

See Also: Architecture in Kansas City The city of Kansas City, Missouri has many famous and interesting buildings. ...

Projects

Power and Light District

The Power and Light 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 and Light Building. The present headquarters of the Kansas City Power and 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. Image File history File links FutureP&Ldistrict. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Monument City (by John Quincy Adams on a visit in 1827), Charm City, Mob Town, B-more Motto: The Greatest City in America (formerly The City That Reads; BELIEVE is not the official motto but rather a specific campaign) Location Location of Baltimore in Maryland Coordinates , Government... New York Stock Exchange (June 2003) The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is one of the largest stock exchanges in the world. ... H&R Block (NYSE: HRB) is a tax preparation and personal finance management company founded by brothers Henry W. and Richard Bloch in Kansas City in 1955 (they changed the name of the company to prevent mispronunciation). ...

As of spring 2006, the H&R Block building has been topped out and the exteriors and interiors are being completed. 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. If viewed from the south, the downtown skyline will have four glass towers all within a few blocks of the intersection of Twelfth and Main streets. 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... H&R Block (NYSE: HRB) is a tax preparation and personal finance management company founded by brothers Henry W. and Richard Bloch in Kansas City in 1955 (they changed the name of the company to prevent mispronunciation). ...

As well, Cordish plans to build between four and six residential towers in the project. As of spring 2006, however, only one is under construction: a 22-story, 200-unit residential tower immediately north of the H&R Block headquarters on a lot once occupied by the flagship store of the Jones Store Company. As of March, 2006, construction on the building itself has not been started yet, but the ground has been leveled and dug out in anticipation of construction soon to begin. That section of the new district is estimated to be completed by spring, 2007. 2007 (MMVII) will be a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

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Sprint Center

The Sprint Center, an 18,500-seat arena, is a project that was announced shortly after the Power and 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. The Sprint Center is a large multi-use indoor arena being built in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, located at 13th Street and Grand Avenue [2]. It is scheduled to be completed in October of 2007 and is expected to seat 18,500 people and have 72 suites. ...

This project has 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 these few dissenters, the arena vote passed decidedly. The Enterprise Rent-A-Car Company is a St. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Gateway City, Gateway to the West, or Mound City Location Location in the state of Missouri Coordinates , Government Country State County United States Missouri Independent City Mayor Francis G. Slay (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 66. ... The National Basketball Association of the United States and Canada, commonly known as the NBA, is the premier professional basketball league in North America. ... A city council is the most common style of legislative government in a city or town. ...

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 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. Gehrys most famous work, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain Frank Owen Gehry, CC (born Ephraim Owen Goldberg, February 28, 1929 in Toronto, Canada) is an architect known for his sculptural approach to building design. ...

Since construction has begun, 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. The definition of a minority group can vary, depending on specific context, but generally refers to either a sociological sub-group that does not form either a majority or a plurality of the total population, or a group that, while not necessarily a numerical minority, is disadvantaged or otherwise has...

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. The Bartle Hall Convention Center (often referred to as the Kansas City Convention Center or simply Bartle Hall) is a major expository pavillion in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, USA. It is named for Harold Roe Bartle, a prominent, two-term mayor of Kansas City in the 1950s and early 1960s. ... INTERSTATE JUNCTIONS JUNCTION EXIT # I-70 KS 0 I-35 MO 2T I-70 MO 2M Legend BROWSE STATE HWYS Prev Next   Interstate 670 (abbreviated I-670) is a 2. ...

As of spring 2006, this project is under construction and the building is well on its way to completion.

Performing Arts Center

A new Performing Arts Center has proposed south of Bartle Hall Convention Center and its new ballroom. It entails an 1,800-seat concert hall and a 2,200-seat theatre. Currently, the design comprises two buildings, although originally the plan called for three buildings. Also proposed is an 800-car parking garage, to be placed underneath a park immediately south of the building. Those looking to build the PAC have announced it will start construction in fall of 2006. It will cost $386,000,000

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 and the foundations for the tower have been set. Front of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City covers the 10th District of the Federal Reserve, which includes Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Wyoming, and portions of western Missouri and northern New Mexico. ... Crown Center is a shopping and entertainment complex operated by the Hallmark corporation and located adjacent to the companys headquarters in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. ...

IRS headquarters

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 buldings. 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. Image File history File links DowntownKCIRS.png‎ Summary A picture of the construction at the IRS Headquarters in Downtown Kansas City, October 2004. ... Seal of the Internal Revenue Service The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the United States government agency that collects taxes and enforces the tax laws. ... Terrorism refers to a strategy of using violence, social threats, or coordinated attacks, in order to generate fear, cause disruption, and ultimately, bring about compliance with specified political, religious, or ideological demands. ... Kansas City Union Station is one of many union stations in the United States. ...

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.

Under Construction

Number of units under construction in each location:

Downtown Loop: 1037 (52%)

River Market: 467 (23%)

Crown Center: 459 (23%)

Crossroads: 37 (2%)

Proposed

Number of units proposed in each location:

Downtown Loop: 2,563 (59%)

Riverfront: 1,200 (28%)

Crown Center: 405 (9%)

Crossroads: 149 (3%)

River Market: 25 (1%)

Envisioned

External links

• KC Skyscrapers: Kansas City Development
• KC-Lofts: Lofts for Sale and Rent in Kansas City