Defending Kansas City's Historic Tax Credit Program

Historic and affordable housing tax credits recently came under fire from a Missouri state senator. Kevin Collison, writing for the Kansas City Star, responded.

1 minute read

February 16, 2014, 11:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


State Sen. Will Kraus recently told The Star, “We are spending too much on tax credits...And we’re not getting the return on investment that we should be demanding,” referring to historic and affordable housing tax credits.

Kevin Collison then penned a rejoinder, citing specific case studies, including a recently approved project called the Argyle--a 10-story building at the prominent corner of 12th and McGee streets in the heart of downtown, originally designed by one of Kansas City's best known architects, Louis Curtiss.

"For more than 15 years the return on investment in this grand edifice a stone’s throw from City Hall has been zero, nada, nothing," writes Collison. But the deal's $3 million tax credit "will leverage a $20 million deal to develop a relic of Kansas City’s past, convert it to 124 nice apartments, and make it a place where a couple hundred people will live as part of Kansas City’s future. People who will go to bars and restaurants, shop for food and bring that stretch of 12th Street alive."

The coup de grâce of Collison's argument: "The Alliance for Investment, Jobs and Preservation estimates that Missouri has issued $1.35 billion in historic tax credits overall since the program began in 1998. The return on that investment? An estimated $7.25 billion in projects and more than 24,700 housing units created."

Tuesday, February 11, 2014 in The Kansas City Star

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Bend, Oregon

Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing

The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.

3 hours ago - Strong Towns

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

4 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive

Green Skid Row mural satirizing city limit sign in downtown Los Angeles, California.

LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents

The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.

5 hours ago - Los Angeles Public Press