Commerce Tower is a 30-story

skyscraper A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Most modern sources define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition, other than being very tall high-rise bui ...

located in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri, US. Constructed in 1965, it is the ninth-tallest habitable structure in the

Kansas City Metropolitan Area The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more t ...

, and since the completion of the

City Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...

, it was the first locally designed

Skyscraper A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Most modern sources define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition, other than being very tall high-rise bui ...

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more t ...

. The building was designed by architects Keene & Simpson & Murphy, who moved their offices into the building after it was completed."Murphy, John Thomas" in ''American Architects Directory'' (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1970): 651. The facade is constructed of pre-cast stone and glass, (known as a "curtain-wall") creating a unique look, especially for its time. When it opened, its top two floors were home to th
Top of the Tower
restaurant, which served five varieties of ethnic cuisine in separate dining areas decorated to match the food served there. The last 15-foot beam was signed by 18,000 people including

Harry S Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. As the 34th Vice president of the United States, vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Frank ...

. Commerce Tower is no longer occupied by its namesake,

Commerce Bancshares Commerce Bancshares, Inc. is a regional bank holding company headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, Missouri, with principal offices in Kansas City, Missouri, Kansas City and St. Louis. It is the corporate parent of Commerce Bank, which offer ...

. Commerce Bank moved its headquarters to 1000 Walnut Street in 1985. It is also home to the downtown campus of

Park University Park University is a private university in Parkville, Missouri, United States. It was founded in 1875. In the fall of 2023, Park had an enrollment of 6,389 students. History The school which was originally called Park College was founded in ...

. The building is expected t
change ownership
in 2013 and be redeveloped into a $90 million mix of office, residential, and educational uses—due, in part, to construction of the

KC Streetcar The KC Streetcar is a one-route streetcar system in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. Construction began in May 2014, and service began on May 6, 2016. The KC Streetcar is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area's integrated public transit bra ...

right outside the building's main entrance.

References

*Kansas City, Missouri; An Architectural History, 1826–1990. (Copyright 1992). George Ehrlich. Retrieved August 14, 2007. (Page 141) *American Institute of Architects Guide to Kansas City Architecture & Public Art. (Copyright 2000). American Institute of Architects/KC. Retrieved August 14, 2007. (Page 26, Number 35) Skyscraper office buildings in Kansas City, Missouri Office buildings completed in 1965 Downtown Kansas City {{Missouri-struct-stub