The Scarritt Building: Kansas City's Second Skyscraper
818 Grand Blvd. Kansas City, MO. 64106
Stripped Bare: The Scorched Remains of the Historic Scarritt Building
Like the Federal Reserve, the Scarritt Building at 818 Grand Blvd is a white whale of Kansas City urban exploration. Inside, I was met with one of the most staggering contrasts of beauty and brutal decay I have ever photographed. The lobby was decorated with ornate molding, and beautiful crystal chandeliers were still hanging. The hardware for the elevators was still intact. Inside the lobby itself, I found beautiful mirrors, more gold leaf molding, and then a foyer glowing under a beautiful stained glass skylight. Astonishingly, the foyer still had all of its light fixtures hanging and intact. This 12-story pioneer of the Kansas City skyline has survived over a century of changing eras, but the last decade of abandonment has left it scarred, stripped, and burned.
A Grand Entrance
When you first enter the ground floor, you are greeted by the ghost of the Gilded Age. The building is attached to the Scarritt Arcade, a stunning four-story adjoining thoroughfare that connects Walnut Street to Grand Avenue. Under the massive, dusty skylight, you can still see flashes of the opulent tile floors and Carrara marble wainscoting that made this a premier address. Yet, the decay is inescapable; in one of the ornate marble dog-leg stairways, there’s very visible smoke and fire damage.
As you ascend the 12-story structure, that illusion violently shatters. The building has been completely ravaged by scrappers; thieves have ripped open the walls to strip the property of its valuable copper and brass. The lower floors tell an even darker story. During its years sitting vacant, the building suffered from transient fires. Navigating the basement levels means stepping over charred beams and looking at soot-blackened terracotta. The heavy, lingering smell of wet charcoal makes it hard to breathe, and the fire damage serves as a harsh reminder of how vulnerable these historic giants are when left unguarded.
The History of a Skyscraper Pioneer
To appreciate what has been lost, you have to look back to 1906. The Scarritt Building was built at a massive cost of $750,000 by the Scarritt Estate Company. The company was formed by the children of Reverend Nathan Scarritt, a prominent early-day Methodist minister, teacher, and real estate investor who had migrated west in 1848.
Designed by the Kansas City architectural firm Root & Siemens in the classic Chicago School style, it was the city's second true "skyscraper". The building was an architectural marvel of its era, constructed with an interior steel skeleton that provided a powerful structural basis for its towering height. The exterior was handsomely clad in light buff vitrified brick, gray granite, and intricate terracotta ornamentation. Alongside the R.A. Long building, it completely dominated the early downtown skyline. For many years, the bustling arcade and upper offices housed the Kansas City Gas Company, and its architectural significance was forever cemented in 1971 when it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The Exodus and Failed Promises
The building's descent into a hollowed-out shell is a classic tale of modern real estate failures. It sat mostly empty for several years, becoming a notorious target for frequent break-ins and vandalism. In 2019, a Florida-based developer called Augustine Development Group (under the affiliate Axis KC LLC) purchased the property. They proposed a highly publicized $50 million plan to renovate it into a 193-room full-service hotel and coworking space.
However, they never even began construction. The redevelopment collapsed, and the historic property was scheduled to be sold at auction in late 2023. By late 2024, the out-of-town owners officially threw in the towel, conveying the complex back to their lender through a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure due to the extensive blight and security problems.
A UMusic Rebirth?
Today, there is finally a concrete plan to save what is left of the Scarritt. It is now the centerpiece of the massive $484 million "800 Grand" redevelopment project. In late 2025, the Kansas City City Council unanimously approved a $109 million TIF package for the site. The plan will transform the historic Scarritt Building and Arcade into a 167-room "UMusic" (Universal Music) branded hotel.
The restored hotel will be physically connected to a brand new 24-story apartment tower and a 1,600-seat performance venue next door. If the project stays on track, this charred and stripped survivor will reopen its doors in 2028, saving a vital piece of Kansas City history before the elements can finish it off entirely.
So please enjoy looking through my photos. The only way I know to protect these buildings is to remind people they even exist.
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