The north end of Downtown could be transformed in the coming years if plans by Arnold Development Group advance at 9th and Central.

Per a “UR” application made to the City of Kansas City on October 24th, Arnold’s plan calls for the redevelopment of the Poindexter and Centennial Buildings, two large office buildings that once held hundreds of employees for SS&C, and a new tower constructed on what’s currently surface parking at 9th and Central.

The Poindexter Building, located at 330 West 9th Street and occupying an entire block, is an 8-story brick structure. Plans, drawn up by the Lamar Johnson Collaborative show the building becoming home to 108 apartments with around 18,500sf of commercial space. The apartments will be broken down into units ranging in size from 1-bedroom + den up to 3-bedroom in size. A new amenity deck will be added to the roof sweating pickleball courts and a restaurant. The Poindexter Building was built in 1902.

The Centennial Building at 210 West 10th Street is a 6-story concrete and brick structure that was completed in 1950 and occupies most of the block bound by 9th, Wyandotte, 10th and Central. Once again, the Lamar Johnson Collaborative is leading the design of this redevelopment, which calls for 100 apartments, a little over 13,000sf of office space, and around 800sf of retail space. The building currently feature’s an integrated parking garage, which will be retained. Office users will access the space, which sits in the building’s north wing on the west side of the building on the 2 upper floors. All apartments in this building will range in size from a 1-bedroom+den up to a 4-bedroom+den.

Between the Centennial and Poindexter redevelopment projects, the two will add 208 apartments to Downtown with most being large enough for small to decently sized families to move in and call the neighborhood home. The inclusion of apartments over 3-bedrooms in size is a rarity for Downtown projects and has often been blamed for the lack of families living in Downtown or in an urban environment in general.

At 9th and Central, plans call for a 27-story high-rise designed by Edmonton-based Stantec. Plans show 487 apartments being built alongside a 39-space parking garage, and around 8350sf of retail space. The tower will stand 289ft tall and be clad in an apparent mixture of brick, glass, and precast panels. The building will step back at the 7th, 12th, and 25th floors giving residents access to outdoor terrace spaces. The 12th floor is where a pool deck and some amenities will be located. On the 9th Street and Central Street sides, the facade will mimic older warehouse architecture, which should help push the bulk of the tower back from the sidewalk

Unlike the Poindexter and Centennial Building plans, we can see a general floor layout, but don’t know the exact breakdown of apartments or their sizes. It’s safe to assume they’ll range in size from studio through one-bedroom in order to make all 487 fit. Arnold’s 9th and Central Tower is the second high-rise planned on the north side of Downtown with the other being located at 8th and Grand. It’s also the third true high-rise planned in Downtown with the other being planned at 14th and Baltimore (4 Light). Plans for 9th and Central are preliminary, so they could change.

Lastly, the Poindexter Building parking garage at 9th and Central will serve all components of Arnold’s overall project. It too will include new amenity spaces, which will be added on the roof. All-in, Arnold’s project will entail 695 apartments, 1653 parking spaces, office and retail space, and amenity spaces spread out across 4 properties.

Arnold Development Group has been in the process of seeking an incentive package from the City of Kansas City through the PIEA for this project. Previous reports state that 40% of the apartments in the Poindexter and Centennial Buildings would be set aside as affordable in exchange for the incentives. It’s not clear if that’s changed or not with the inclusion of the new tower. A development cost and a timeline for the 9th and Central development have not yet been disclosed. The project is set to go before the KC planning commission on December 17th.

Arnold Development Group is involved in the massive redevelopment effort at Independence and Hardesty in the City’s “Historic Northeast” area. They were also the developers of 2nd and Delaware in the River Market and are linked to a proposal to redevelop the Indian Springs Mall site at 635 and State in Kansas City Kansas.

The gallery below features pictures of the properties on 10/31/2025.