What’s the history behind Kansas City’s iconic Katz drugstore building?
The historic Katz drugstore building has been in the headlines recently as the Kansas City Council continues to debate how to move forward with plans to develop the structure.
But why is the building considered an important piece of Kansas City history? Here’s a peek into how the Katz brothers got their start and built their iconic drugstore.
How did Katz drugstore get started?
The Katz chain originally started as a West Bottoms fruit stand at the turn of the century, according to “The Kings of Cut-Rate: The Very American Story of Isaac and Michael Katz,” a 2011 book written by Star reporter Brian Burnes and Steve Katz, grandson of Isaac Katz.
Brothers and Ukrianian immigrants “Ike’‘ and Michael Katz eventually opened two “confectionery” stores in 1914, one at 12th and McGee streets and another at Eighth Street and Grand Avenue. Advertising that “Katz Pays the Tax,” they gained popularity for eating the World War I wartime tax on cigarettes instead of building it into their price, making their cigarettes cheaper than competitors.
When the U.S. government announced in 1917 that only drugstores could remain open after 6 p.m. during wartime to preserve fuel, the Katz brothers officially created the Katz Drug Co. They transformed their confectioneries to have pharmacists and drugs on hand so they could be open later for people to get cigarettes on their way home from work.
By the time the company merged with Skaggs Drug Cos. in 1971, it had over 65 stores in seven states.
What about the historic Katz drugstore building?
Famed Kansas City architect and nephew to the Katz brothers Clarence Kivett designed the Katz Drug Co. building at Westport Road and Main Street, according to a 2006 Star report.
At 20,000 square feet, the building was said to be the biggest drugstore in the world when it opened Dec. 7, 1934. The store featured 29 cash registers, 300 parking spots, air conditioning and car attendants. Customers could shop for groceries and pets, including monkeys and baby alligators.
“It was the forerunner of the one-stop shopping concept,” said Steve Katz to the Star in 2006. “It’s not only a Kansas City landmark, it is one of the important commercial histories of Kansas City commerce.”
Will the Katz drugstore building be renovated?
Talk of the Katz drugstore building being renovated or demolished started swirling over a decade ago, when CVS Corp. announced it was closing the Osco drugstore that operated in the building in 2006.
Redeemer Fellowship church bought the property at auction in 2011, according to a 2012 Star story. The church operated artist incubator The Drugstore in the space but put the property on the market in 2019 after maintenance costs became too expensive.
Historic Kansas City put the Katz building on its Most Endangered list in 2019. The list highlights historic buildings, districts and landscapes in danger of demolition.
‘
California-based developer Lux Living has proposed a $37 million plan to build 192 apartments near the Katz building and restore the drugstore as amenities for residents. The Kansas City Council initially unanimously killed an incentive package for the plan on June 24 but then decided to reconsider it at a meeting July 1.
The Star’s Joyce Smith, Mary Sanchez, Kevin Hardy and Steve Vockrodt contributed reporting.