Developer Henry Service says rising costs have increased the price tag for his redevelopment of the historic Lincoln Building. (Taylor Wilmore/Startland News)
Developer Henry Service says rising costs have increased the price tag for his redevelopment of the Historic Lincoln Building. (Taylor Wilmore/Startland News)

Kansas City: Central City Economic Development Sales Tax Board (July 28, 2026)

By Masha Mackey, Kansas City Documenter

See more about this meeting at Documenters.org

Summary

  • Board members welcomed Jeremy Davis as the new director overseeing the Central City Economic Development (CCED) program and discussed strengthening technical assistance, community engagement and long-term planning for future investments.
  • Consultants presented the CCED impact report, highlighting the results of the program’s first seven funding rounds and identifying strategies for continued neighborhood revitalization and investment.
  • The board reviewed financial and project updates, postponed action on a funding modification request for the Historic Lincoln Building pending additional documentation and approved a recommendation to recover $100,000 of unused funds from the Conrad Wright Media Building project.

Notes

Welcome and Administrative Updates

  • Davis shared his background of more than 20 years of experience in economic development, including as CEO of the St. Louis Development Corp. from 2021 through 2025. He expressed his commitment to collaborating with staff and community partners to advance the program.
    • Board members discussed strengthening communication with the board, expanding technical assistance for small businesses and neighborhood developers and continuing outreach to demonstrate the CCED’s impact. Members also discussed the importance of long-term planning and demonstrating the program’s impact to the public.

CCED Impact Report

  • Consultants presented an impact analysis examining the first seven rounds of the CCED program and its role in neighborhood revitalization.
  • Presentation highlights included:
    • 58 funded projects.
    • $88.2 million in CCED investments with an average project investment of about $1.5 million.
    • Nearly $1 billion in leveraged capital investment.
    • 1,473 housing units created or redeveloped.
    • About 2,530 jobs created or supported.
    • Investment clustered along the Prospect Avenue corridor and in neighborhoods including 18th & Vine Historic District, Washington Wheatley and Santa Fe.
    • Presenters emphasized that neighborhood revitalization required sustained investment over many years and said the program’s first decade had established momentum for growth.
    • Board members discussed the historical causes of disinvestment, opportunities to develop strategic plans and ways to strengthen partnerships regardless of the outcome of the sales tax’s renewal, which voters passed Tuesday along with other citywide questions.

Treasurer’s Report 

  • Staff reported that roughly $2.48 million in sales tax revenue had been collected through June, exceeding projections by 1.68%. Staff also corrected the available project funding balance after identifying a previously approved budget modification that had not been reflected in the financial summary, reducing available project funding to about $9.63 million.
  • The board approved the report.

Approval of Meeting Minutes 

  • The board approved the meeting minutes from May 18 and May 28.
  • Board members also briefly discussed a city-owned property that had previously received CCED funding and asked whether proceeds from a future property sale would return to the CCED program or to the city’s general fund. Staff said more information would be gathered before any action.

Project Report 

  • Staff gave updates on projects from multiple funding rounds.
  • Discussion included:
  • Staff reported that several Round 8 projects were moving through final contract execution and that most Round 7 projects had completed contracting. Staff also discussed changes to one affordable housing project after the City Council approved a reduction in the number of residential units. Staff said one remaining project would return to the board with a formal update at the next meeting.

Historic Lincoln Building Request

  • Representatives of the Historic Lincoln Building, 1601 E. 18th St., requested funding above its award of $2.6 million because construction costs had increased following project delays.
  • The applicant said additional CCED funding would help complete the redevelopment while preserving commercial space. He also described investing personal funds into the project and outlined completed progress.
  • The developer, Henry Service, mentioned expecting to receive an additional $100,000 that he was “promised” by the City Council. “I stopped asking about it,” he said. “I’m only asking for some more money to finish the project because costs have gone up.”
  • The board took no action but directed staff to provide the formal project modification application. The request will return for consideration after complete financial documentation and supporting materials are submitted.

Staff and Marketing Updates

  • Staff shared several administrative updates, including:
    • Orientation sessions planned for Round 8 funding recipients.
    • A revised reimbursement process, which eliminates escrow agents and reduces developer costs.
    • Recent project groundbreaking ceremonies.
    • Release of a CCED documentary and CCED website updates.
    • Community outreach meetings before the vote on the ballot measure.
    • Plans to launch technical assistance programming and neighborhood office hours to better support residents, businesses and developers.
    • Staff also discussed the recent CCED impact reception, media coverage of the documentary and efforts to increase the program’s public awareness through neighborhood meetings and community presentations.
    • Staff said that the documentary had been released online and that recent media coverage and neighborhood presentations were meant to increase public awareness of the CCED program before the upcoming ballot measure.
  • Conrad Wright Media Building Clawback
    • Staff recommended recovering $100,000 in unused project funds from the Conrad Wright Media Building, 2301 E. 34th St., project after determining the funds had not been used. The city auditor flagged the Conrad Wright building in a 2023 review of the CCED program, questioning whether some of the funding had gone toward business unrelated to the project.
    • The board approved the recommendation.

Observations

  • Much of the meeting focused on evaluating the long-term impact of CCED investments rather than reviewing individual development projects.
  • Several board members emphasized expanding technical assistance and increasing direct engagement with neighborhood residents and small developers.
  • Discussion repeatedly returned to using public investment to attract additional private and philanthropic funding while addressing long-standing patterns of neighborhood disinvestment.

Follow-Up Questions

  • How will the board measure neighborhood-level outcomes during the next phase of CCED investments beyond individual project completion?
  • When will the proposed technical assistance program and neighborhood office hours begin, and how will residents access those services?
  • What timeline will staff use to review and return the Historic Lincoln Building funding modification request to the board after the required documentation is submitted?

If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at documenters@thebeacon.media with “Correction Request” in the subject line. Learn more about Documenters on our website.

Type of Story: News

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.

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