Downtown Kansas City Landmark Could Become Apartments

The city's development agency will consider a proposal Wednesday that would bring 265 apartments to the Commerce Tower while keeping some office space currently in the building.

The Kansas City Star reports the building was the first modern skyscraper downtown when it opened in 1965. It was headquarters for Commerce Bank until 1985 and currently is 60 percent vacant. It is controlled by a special server after the current owner defaulted on its loan last year.

The current proposal is from a group called Kansas City Sustainable Development Partners. The plan is for floors 10- through 24 to become apartments, with the second- through ninth floors and 25th- through 30th floors remaining offices.