Union Hill acquires Residence Inn on Main Street, turns them into apartments

Union Hill is adding to the downtown Kansas City area’s continually expanding stock of multifamily housing with its conversion of the Residence Inn at 29th and Main streets into apartments.

Union Hill acquired the Residence Inn by Marriott early in April and by June plans to open the building to tenants. The building, dubbed Union Hill on Main, will offer 96 apartment units, which will include studios, 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom apartments.

“It was on the market, we started looking at it a year ago,” said Union Hill developer Bob Frye. “It has been maintained very well and it was very successful for three decades. When we really got in there and looked at the floor plans, we really became excited.”

Financial terms of the acquisition or Union Hill’s overall investment in the project were not disclosed. A certificate of value for the property was not on file with the Jackson County recorder of deeds office.

The Union Hill on Main project adds to Union Hill’s portfolio of 15 residential buildings and 30 businesses between Main Street and Gillham Road between 31st Street and 28th Terrace.

Frye anticipated that younger renters might be keen on the Union Hill on Main offering, given its proximity to the existing streetcar line, which ends at Union Station. If voters approve a streetcar extension this year, the apartments will be right on the line.

“It’s on Main so we’re close to the streetcar,” Frye said. “I think particularly this would be a great millennial product.”

Union Hill is donating interior items from the former hotel — 96 nightstands, 104 desks and chairs, 192 pieces of art, to name a few — will be donated to Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Those items were valued at about $190,000.

This story was originally published April 27, 2017 at 2:43 PM with the headline "Union Hill acquires Residence Inn on Main Street, turns them into apartments."