This 26-story tower could redefine Kansas City’s skyline, add 450+ new homes
An ambitious project in Kansas City could fill two vacant office buildings with hundreds of housing units while remaking the downtown skyline.
Arnold Development Group has proposed remaking the area around 9th and Central streets, in the downtown loop, submitting a plan to the city that would start with converting the Centennial Building, 210 W. 10th St., and the Poindexter Building, 330 W. 9th St., for residential use. The Poindexter is part of a national historic district.
The two buildings would have 208 units between them in a mix of sizes, including a handful of five-bedrooms and dozens of three-bedrooms, plans show, alongside possible office and retail space and amenities for residents. The development would take advantage of existing and underutilized parking structures.
About half of the units would be reserved for residents making between 30 and 80% of the area median income, which in the Kansas City area is up to $80,200 for a family of three.
The Poindexter and Centennial conversions would be the first phase of the project. Construction could take up to two years once permitted to start.
The developer has sought public support for the project including historic tax credits, low-income housing tax credits, Housing Trust Fund grant funds and local tax breaks for redevelopment in blighted areas.
Another new tower could rise in downtown Kansas City
Arnold, a local development firm that focuses on conversions, affordability and sustainability, is also eyeing the construction of a new 26-story tower with 487 more mixed-income housing units.
Plans for the tower are more preliminary and the financing process is ongoing, according to information presented at a hearing on Tuesday.
The proposed 289-foot tower would replace what is currently a private surface parking lot. If built, downtown Kansas City would have nearly 700 new homes in a roughly four block area alone.
The full 9th and Central development would be a few blocks away from the Library streetcar stop.
A tower on the site would join the planned new high-rise at 800 Grand Ave. alongside the rehab of the historic Scarritt Building for hotel rooms, new housing and a music venue. And plans for a new “Light” tower in the Power and Light area, the fourth such tower, moved forward last year.
Arnold Development Group is also working on the large-scale redevelopment of the former Hardesty Federal Complex in the Historic Northeast area, which promises to transform a hulking industrial site with hundreds of new apartments, on-site amenities for residents and a new public market.
The City Council’s neighborhoods committee forwarded a zoning plan for the redevelopment on Tuesday for a vote by the full council, which could consider the change on Thursday.
This story was originally published February 4, 2026 at 5:55 AM.