Historic Kansas City Star building poised to drive AI innovation

The long-vacant Kansas City Star building may soon trade its printing presses for supercomputers under an ambitious plan to transform the iconic downtown structure into a hub for AI, technology startups, and innovation.

Photo by Ron Lach 

Why It Matters

If realized, the project would bring new life to a 400,000-square-foot building that has sat mostly empty for years, weaving it into Kansas City’s growing tech ecosystem. Developers envision hundreds of high-paying jobs in AI and related fields while creating a collaborative space for entrepreneurs, tech innovators, and creative professionals in the urban core.

“This is about putting creators, founders, and capital all in one place,” said John Johnson, CEO of Patmos Holdings, the Kansas City-based developer behind the plan. “We want to turbocharge Kansas City’s innovation economy and make this building a destination for the future of technology.”

Project Overview

The redevelopment would convert the former Star printing facility into an “AI factory” with a hybrid campus combining:

• Heavy computing power capable of supporting high-performance AI and machine learning applications.
  

• Collaborative office and coworking spaces for startups and small businesses.
  

• A public-facing expo center, allowing entrepreneurs and artists to showcase projects.
  

• An exhibit honoring the Star’s journalistic legacy to maintain a cultural connection to the building’s history.
  
  

The AI data center alone is projected to have over 100 megawatts of computing power, enough electricity to power tens of thousands of homes. The total investment in the project is estimated at $1 billion.

From Printing Presses to AI Supercomputers

Originally opened in 2006, the Kansas City Star building was billed as one of the country’s most advanced newspaper facilities. The $199 million plant housed printing presses and a 400,000-square-foot newsroom.

However, after corporate mergers and declining print circulation, McClatchy sold the building in 2019 for just over $30 million. The Star vacated the building in 2022, leaving broken glass panels and an empty shell that became a symbol of downtown’s stalled momentum.

Photo by Leah Newhouse

Economic and Community Impact

Local business owners are cautiously optimistic. Jill Cockson, owner of Chartreuse Saloon across the street, said she hopes the project will bring consistent foot traffic to downtown Kansas City. “We need more people coming downtown every day, not just occasionally,” she noted.

If successful, the project could generate high-paying tech jobs, not only directly in AI but also through associated startups, support services, and businesses drawn to the area. By revitalizing the Star building, developers aim to strengthen downtown KC’s economic ecosystem and cement the city’s position as a rising tech hub in the Midwest.

Key Challenges

The redevelopment is still contingent on a zoning change approval from the Kansas City Council. Patmos is currently leasing the property with an option to buy, but no public financing or incentives have been finalized. Tenant commitments are also in the early stages, leaving some uncertainty about the project’s near-term execution.

Timeline and Next Steps

If the council approves the zoning change, Patmos plans to begin renovations immediately, with portions of the AI hub potentially operational within 18 months.

This project comes amid a wave of transformative development in Kansas City, including:

• Redevelopment of Historic Northeast with affordable housing and a public market.
  

• Revitalization of east-of-Troost neighborhoods with $19 million in funding for housing, cultural, and commercial projects.
  

• Downtown investments in residential apartments, sports complexes, and mixed-use developments near the KC Streetcar line.
  

Together, these initiatives signal Kansas City’s commitment to economic growth, innovation, and equitable urban development. The Star building project, if realized, could become a symbol of the city’s future, transforming a long-empty industrial space into a cornerstone of tech innovation and urban vitality.

If you want, I can also combine all your recent KC development stories—Historic Northeast, Star building AI hub, Margaritaville resort, Bluhawk sports complex, and east-of-Troost projects—into one comprehensive, 2025 Kansas City Development Report. This would be perfect for a newsletter or blog post summarizing KC’s transformative year.