KCK neighborhood wanted to restore century-old community center. Then came a fire
Firefighters are investigating a case of suspected arson after a Kansas City, Kansas, fire partially collapsed the roof of the Franklin Center, a former school building and safe haven for the Argentine neighborhood community since the late 1800s.
The building had been used as a community center for people living on the east side of Argentine, who do not have their own community space, and was in the process of being restored prior to the fire.
Kansas City, Kansas, firefighters responded to the center at 11:19 a.m. Wednesday morning around 1404 Ruby Avenue, according to the department.
Heavy flames rose from the building’s attic and upper stairwell, causing the roof to partially collapse.
“The Fire is under investigation and it is extremely difficult to rule out arson at this time,” said Assistant Chief Scott Schaunaman, a spokesman for the department.
The building had been abandoned around 2010 apart from the monthly neighborhood food drives held in its parking lot by the local nonprofit Franklin Center Inc., according to board member Amber Booth.
“We had a plan to turn it back into a community center, have a health clinic come in, reopen the cafe, have space for the community and programming,” she said.
“We have come very, very close many times but one piece of the puzzle hasn’t been there. So obviously this fire makes it even more difficult.”
Now, they are going to need outside help to raise the money, she said.
The building holds a special spot in the hearts of Argentine community members, Booth said, as it was a gathering place for the neighborhood before the area became a part of Kansas City, Kansas, in 1910.
Many residents went to school in the building’s six classrooms, servicing about eight grades of students. In the 50’s, when a massive flood hit the Argentine neighborhood, the building provided a safe haven to thousands of displaced residents.
While the school closed in 1973, neighborhood groups joined together to transform the building into a place for child care, adult education, senior citizen activities, a Spanish speaking office and much more. It remained at the heart of the community until 2009.
Then the Franklin Center’s tenants walked out, abandoning the building.
Grants were awarded to Franklin Center Inc. in 2015 to renovate the windows and a million dollar campaign was launched to reopen the building.
But after the alleged arson, Booth said, the community will have to wait even longer to see both the building, and the many services it provided, restored.
“It’s very frustrating,” she said. “We want everybody to know that this act of vandalism does not define our community.”
Booth does not know precisely how much money will be needed to renovate the building. But, prior to the fire, they were fundraising to reach a goal of four million dollars.
“Obviously that’s going to be a lot more now,” she said.
On Tuesday, Booth’s nonprofit will be holding a community gathering at 6 p.m. in the building’s parking lot to share memories and discuss strategies for returning the center to its former glory.
“I personally know what this means to the community. I care and we as a board care about what the community wants,” she said.
“The Argentine community is a strong, resilient community. And I think the building reflects that.”
This story was originally published May 26, 2023 at 12:01 PM.
