‘Iconic piece’ of Brookside property has a new owner. Shop to make way for other tenants

A historic Brookside building has a new owner and soon new tenants.

Sheryl and Joe White purchased the building, at 22 W. 63rd St., in 1995 with her late father. Then they relocated their Brookside floral and gift shop, The Fiddly Fig, to the spot.

“I wasn’t planning on selling it at all, but I had an offer. My dad always said you listen to everybody,” Sheryl White said. “I was listening to my heart at first and it was no way. I hated that it made sense. But it was a business decision.”

The Whites will close the Fiddly Fig there in late March and move it to 9716 Holmes Road, where they currently operate Teefey Flowers and Gifts. They will combine the two shops under the Fiddly Fig name.

The Brookside building (circa 1911) was originally built by developer J.C. Nichols with a fire department on the west side, police on the east — kicking off the Brookside commercial development, White said.

Two banks later operated in the building. But because of its historic designation, the exterior has to be maintained in the same style as the original construction.

”It is just a feel-good building,” White said. “I will miss it and the people, the merchants, everything about Brookside. But I won’t be far away.”

Joe Zwillenberg, the new owner, calls the building an “iconic piece of property that comes around once in a lifetime.”

“It’s a part of Kansas City history,” he said. “It’s my favorite area, where I grew up. For me it was like a house in the middle of Brookside.”

Zwillenberg also owns a stretch of buildings along Brookside Plaza that includes such tenants as Sayachi sushi restaurant and Starbucks, as well as the building housing Mike’s Wine & Spirits and Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches.

The Fiddly Fig has 4,000 square feet on the first floor and 3,000 square feet on the second. Zwillenberg is already looking for tenants.

“I want someone who will respect the integrity of the building,” he said.

He’s also looking for the original fireman’s pole.

This story was originally published December 10, 2019 at 5:00 AM.