One Kansas City Place
Encyclopedia
One Kansas City Place is the tallest building located in downtown Kansas City
, Missouri
, bounded by 12th Street to the north, Baltimore Avenue to the west, and Main Street to the east. Built in 1988, the 177.9 m (583.7 ft) tower was designed by Patty Berkebile Nelson & Immenschuh and replaced the Town Pavilion
as the tallest building in the city.
One Kansas City Place is considered an architectural salute to City Hall, which is located 5 blocks east of Main on 12th Street.
who had earlier built Town Pavilion
.
The tower was proposed for the South Loop (So-Lo) area south of downtown's central business district. The project included a plethora of skyscrapers with uses ranging from offices to hotels and residential buildings. Unsubstantiated claims hold that a major cause of the project's failure to come to its full stature was the complaints of residents, claiming it would ruin Kansas City's skyline, which remained largely unchanged for 30 years.
One Kansas City Place was to be the third tallest of several towers constructed, though it is the tallest that actually was constructed. Today, it is one of the most recognizable buildings in Kansas City's skyline
.
Morgan and Dreiseszun (operating as DM Management) would see some of their banks fail in the wake of the project in the Savings and loan crisis
. They would be indicted on federal charges of bid rigging to get government contracts. Morgan would die in 1993 and Dreiseszun would plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge and pay a fine of US$375,000.
games, blue and white for important Kansas City Royals
games, red for Valentine's Day
, green for St. Patrick's Day, pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October), and red and green for Christmas
. In November 2007, the University of Missouri
played the University of Kansas
in football at Arrowhead Stadium
. The colors on top One Kansas City Place were yellow and white and a giant "M" and "U" appeared in the side of the building, to show its support for the Missouri Tigers
in that game.
Kansas City Plaza is also a main atraction to check out.
maintains a large branch in the building's lower lobby. The building's largest tenants are Ernst & Young
, an accounting firm, and Bryan Cave
, a law firm based in St. Louis. Karbank Real Estate Company, a prominent industrial development and brokerage company, occupies the 39th floor. Great Plains Energy and subsidiary Kansas City Power & Light Co. have taken space in the building in 2009. Tenants are provided security by EHI through Securitas AB
.
Downtown Kansas City
Downtown Kansas City is the central business district of Kansas City, Missouri and the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. It is located between the Missouri River in the north, to 31st Street in the south; and from the Kansas–Missouri state line east to Troost Avenue as defined by officials of the...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, bounded by 12th Street to the north, Baltimore Avenue to the west, and Main Street to the east. Built in 1988, the 177.9 m (583.7 ft) tower was designed by Patty Berkebile Nelson & Immenschuh and replaced the Town Pavilion
Town Pavilion
Town Pavilion is a 38-story skyscraper located at 1111 Main Street on the northeast corner of 12th and Main Streets in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri, around the corner from Oppenstein Brothers Memorial Park. The tower occupies the former site of several retail buildings--including Kline's...
as the tallest building in the city.
One Kansas City Place is considered an architectural salute to City Hall, which is located 5 blocks east of Main on 12th Street.
History
One Kansas City Place was constructed as the first part of a much larger project named Kansas City Place, which never was completed. The project was to include townhomes, office towers, and residential/hotel towers. The Kansas City Place project was originally proposed during the real estate boom of the 1980s. The plan was developed by Frank Morgan and his uncle Sherman DreiseszunSherman Dreiseszun
Sherman W. Dreiseszun was a banker and real estate developer who built Kansas City's two tallest buildings as well as several shopping malls throughout the Midwest.-Early life:Dreiseszun was the son of Polish immigrants...
who had earlier built Town Pavilion
Town Pavilion
Town Pavilion is a 38-story skyscraper located at 1111 Main Street on the northeast corner of 12th and Main Streets in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri, around the corner from Oppenstein Brothers Memorial Park. The tower occupies the former site of several retail buildings--including Kline's...
.
The tower was proposed for the South Loop (So-Lo) area south of downtown's central business district. The project included a plethora of skyscrapers with uses ranging from offices to hotels and residential buildings. Unsubstantiated claims hold that a major cause of the project's failure to come to its full stature was the complaints of residents, claiming it would ruin Kansas City's skyline, which remained largely unchanged for 30 years.
One Kansas City Place was to be the third tallest of several towers constructed, though it is the tallest that actually was constructed. Today, it is one of the most recognizable buildings in Kansas City's skyline
Skyline
A skyline is the overall or partial view of a city's tall buildings and structures consisting of many skyscrapers in front of the sky in the background. It can also be described as the artificial horizon that a city's overall structure creates. Skylines serve as a kind of fingerprint of a city, as...
.
Morgan and Dreiseszun (operating as DM Management) would see some of their banks fail in the wake of the project in the Savings and loan crisis
Savings and Loan crisis
The savings and loan crisis of the 1980s and 1990s was the failure of about 747 out of the 3,234 savings and loan associations in the United States...
. They would be indicted on federal charges of bid rigging to get government contracts. Morgan would die in 1993 and Dreiseszun would plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge and pay a fine of US$375,000.
Lighting
At the four sides of its top, One Kansas City Place glows at night with red, white, and blue lights. Throughout the year, the colors change to red and yellow for important Kansas City ChiefsKansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
games, blue and white for important Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
games, red for Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day
Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
, green for St. Patrick's Day, pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October), and red and green for Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
. In November 2007, the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
played the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
in football at Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium is a stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri and home to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs....
. The colors on top One Kansas City Place were yellow and white and a giant "M" and "U" appeared in the side of the building, to show its support for the Missouri Tigers
Missouri Tigers
The Missouri Tigers athletics programs include the extramural and intramural sports teams of the University of Missouri, located in Columbia, Missouri, United States...
in that game.
Project proposed buildings
| Name | Floors | Status | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two Kansas City Place | 65 | Cancelled | Office |
| Three Kansas City Place | 55 | Cancelled | Office |
| One Kansas City Place | 42 | Built | Office |
| Four Kansas City Place | 24 | Cancelled | Office |
| Kansas City Place Apartments | 20 | Cancelled | Residential |
| 1200 Wyandotte | 18 | Built | Office |
| Kansas City Place Apartments | 16 | Cancelled | Residential |
| Kansas City Place Apartments | 14 | Cancelled | Residential |
Kansas City Plaza is also a main atraction to check out.
Tenants
Bank of AmericaBank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
maintains a large branch in the building's lower lobby. The building's largest tenants are Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young is one of the largest professional services networks in the world and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms, along with Deloitte, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers ....
, an accounting firm, and Bryan Cave
Bryan Cave
Bryan Cave LLP is an international law firm with twenty-one offices worldwide, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.- Overview :The international law firm Bryan Cave LLP dates back to 1873 in St. Louis. Founded in 1873 in St. Louis as King, Phillips and Stewart, the firm became Stewart, Bryan,...
, a law firm based in St. Louis. Karbank Real Estate Company, a prominent industrial development and brokerage company, occupies the 39th floor. Great Plains Energy and subsidiary Kansas City Power & Light Co. have taken space in the building in 2009. Tenants are provided security by EHI through Securitas AB
Securitas AB
Securitas AB is a security services , monitoring, consulting and investigation group, based in Stockholm, Sweden. The group has approximately 300,000 employees in 50 countries in North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Securitas AB is listed at Nasdaq OMX Stockholm,...
.
External links/Sources
- First National Bank History
- "One Kansas City Place" (January 31, 1988) Kansas City Star pp. 19J: 3
- Linda Chesney Kaut (December 17, 1989) "Q: What is the Tallest Building in Kansas City?" Kansas City Star pp. 6
- Diana Dawson (December 19, 1984) "Up to date in KC, and getting taller too." Kansas City Star Section C