9th & Central

About This Project

Arnold Development Group — led by Jonathan Arnold, one of Kansas City's most innovative and mission-driven developers — is planning a transformative mixed-use, mixed-income redevelopment at the corner of 9th and Central in downtown Kansas City. The project will convert two landmark office buildings into residential lofts and construct a new 27-story tower on adjacent surface parking, creating a total of 695 apartments across four properties.

The Poindexter Building (330 W 9th St), a historic eight-story brick structure built in 1902 that anchors Kansas City's Garment District, and the neighboring Centennial Building (210 W 10th St), a mid-century six-story structure completed in 1950, were both former home to DST Systems. Together, they represent hundreds of thousands of square feet of underutilized downtown office space ripe for adaptive reuse. Plans, drawn up by the Lamar Johnson Collaborative, call for converting both into apartments with ground-floor commercial and office space while preserving their architectural character.

A new 27-story tower on the surface parking lot at 9th and Central will add 487 apartments ranging from studio to one-bedroom, with a signature amenity deck featuring pickleball courts and a rooftop restaurant. The project is one of two high-rise towers planned for the north end of downtown Kansas City and would significantly increase residential density in a neighborhood well-served by transit and walkable amenities.

Affordability

40% of apartments in both the Poindexter and Centennial buildings — approximately 83 units — will be set aside as affordable housing in exchange for city incentives. Affordable rents are anticipated to serve households earning between 30–80% of the Area Median Income (AMI). The new tower apartments are expected to be market-rate, supporting the project's financial viability and cross-subsidizing the affordable units in the adaptive reuse buildings.

The Buildings

Developer: Arnold Development Group

Founded in 2002 and led by CEO Jonathan Arnold, Arnold Development Group is a Certified B-Corporation specializing in high-performance, sustainable, mixed-use developments throughout the Kansas City region. The firm has a strong track record of adaptive reuse and mixed-income housing — including the groundbreaking passive house project at 2nd & Delaware — and is also leading the Historic Northeast Lofts, a 500-unit affordable housing development on Kansas City's east side. Arnold Development is known for layering incentives creatively, including historic tax credits, LIHTC, TIF, and solar investment tax credits to deliver projects that pencil at scale.