See new renderings of high-rise apartments, luxury hotel in KC’s Crossroads

The full scope of a $440 million-plus redevelopment project in the Crossroads has come into focus, and construction could begin this year.

A development team that includes EPC Real Estate Group of Overland Park will remake about 4 acres off 16th Street and Broadway Boulevard, which comprises mostly vacant buildings, with a large development that includes a 32-story apartment building, a 15-story luxury hotel and an 11-story office building geared toward a corporate headquarters.

Across the buildings, there would also be parking garages and retail space: perhaps for a restaurant and a cafe. The development would be across the street from the Kauffman Center for Performing Arts, and construction could run through 2030.

The Port Authority of Kansas City took a step on Monday toward approving a financing package for the development; the board’s final approval could come over the summer, documents show.

Mayor Quinton Lucas said on Instagram that the project, known as Encore, will transform the city’s skyline while keeping jobs, activity and investment in Kansas City’s core.

“While downtowns change nationally, Kansas City’s will continue to progress with a balance as a jobs center, hospitality location, and area for housing development at all levels,” Lucas said. “Growth here generates revenue citywide — and replaces troubled sites like the vacant, abandoned Denny’s lot.”

The 371-foot, 32-story building, which would be the first phase of construction, would include 392 housing units across apartments, duplexes and penthouses alongside commercial space on the ground floor, 481 parking spaces and a deck with a pool.

The hotel would 282 rooms and 313 parking spots. The office building would have 364 parking spots and would connect to the hotel.

The Port KC Board of Commissioners gave initial approval on Monday for property tax breaks that would help support the project.

Left undeveloped, the future apartment site would generate about $1.6 million in property taxes total over 25 years. Building the apartments would be expected to raise the property value, meaning more taxes due.

With final approval by the Port KC Board at a later date, the apartment side of the project could receive property tax breaks valued at $36.9 million in over 25 years, while the owner would pay $19.2 million to taxing bodies during that time frame.

The board is expected to consider further financing for the hotel and office sides of the project at a later date, and the agency could carry out a development agreement in the fall.

The developers would also pledge $2 million to the city’s Housing Trust Fund, which provides grant funding to affordable housing projects — in line with Port KC policy requiring projects that don’t set aside affordable units to pay $5,000 per unit into the Housing Trust Fund.

The Encore project is one of several proposed housing developments in and around Kansas City that would add both height and density to the city’s housing stock.

It would be a few blocks away from a streetcar stop.