Partnership that includes Royals, Satchel Paige family chosen to redevelop historic home
Kansas City officials have chosen a local group that, in partnership with the Kansas City Royals, will lead the redevelopment of the longtime home of pitching great Satchel Paige, which was damaged in a fire three years ago.
Pitch Perfect KC, the entity formed in coordination with the Paige family, the Santa Fe Neighborhood and others to restore the large home at 2626 E. 28th St. where the Hall of Fame pitcher lived from 1950 until his death in 1982, was announced as the winning bid.
“The full story of Leroy Satchel Paige’s life is filled with lessons for all of us,” said Vincent Paul Gauthier, managing developer for Pitch Perfect KC, in a statement. The restored home, he said, “will now serve as a place to share his true impact and hopefully continue to inspire future generations.”
Gauthier is the former executive director of the Kansas City Port Authority who went onto become planning director at the BNIM architectural firm and, according to his LinkedIn profile, has since 2002 been president of Urban Realty Interests Inc.
Paige’s widow, Lahoma, and other family family members lived in the historic home until the late 1980s, but it has been vacant since.
A news release from the city outlined what it called a vision of honoring Paige, a legendary figure in baseball’s Negro Leagues, including the original Kansas City Monarchs, whose subsequent Major League Baseball career included stints with the Cleveland Indians and St. Louis Browns.
The city provided few details on plans for the home, which Kansas City’s homesteading authority acquired after what authorities suspected was an arson fire. More information on the project will be presented at a news conference Monday morning, the 50th anniversary of Paige’s induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
A city spokeswoman did not immediately respond to The Star’s request for further details.
