KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Port KC approved a resolution Monday that pushes forward the plan to develop 800/818 Grand Avenue.
The resolution induces the issuance of bonds and the authorization of a memorandum of understanding with developer 800 Grand KCMO LLC.
“The issuance of up to $480 million in taxable revenue bonds for this proposal includes a landmark residential tower, the adaptive reuse of the historic Scarritt Building into a 167-key UMusic-branded destination hotel, 319 multi-family residences, 28,000 square feet of ground-level retail, and a 1,400-seat music and entertainment venue,” Port KC shared in a news release.
In November 2024, the project was teased during the annual State of Downtown event.
Jon Stephens, Port KC president/CEO, said the vision today is a “revised and more complete version” of what was shared months ago.
Part of the push for this project includes the preservation of the Scarritt Building.
Construction on the 12-story building was completed in 1907. Regarded as “modern” at the time, the Scarritt Building was one of the earliest skyscrapers in downtown Kansas City, thanks to the invention of the elevator, according to a document in the Kansas City Public Library’s Missouri Valley Special Collections.
In 1971, the Scarritt Building was added to the National and Kansas City Registers of Historic Places due to its “superior architecture,” the Missouri Valley Special Collections document stated.
“The 800 Grand project represents a significant investment in Kansas City’s urban core, pairing historic preservation with bold new construction. Saving the Historic Scarritt Building is vital to the Grand corridor and our greater downtown,” Stephens said in a news release.
Stephens explained the project’s vision matches Port KC’s mission to “attract catalytic growth and sustainable economic vitality to our city.”
And while Monday’s resolution is just the first step in a “long planning and development process,” Stephens is “hopeful that the historic renovation will begin in 2026.”
The project is expected to be completed in two phases over a five-year period.
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