A Crossroads building was supposed to be redeveloped. Now, it will be demolished

A century-old building along a historic row in the Crossroads in Kansas City is set to be demolished.

The city issued demolition permits Dec. 12 for 1824/1832 McGee Street, records show, part of a block with historic ties to the automobile industry. The site was previously eyed for redevelopment into offices and retail.

According to a historic survey and a real estate listing, the Maston Realty and Mining Company built the site in 1919 and soon leased 1832 McGee to Republic Rubber Company and Newell Motor Car Company, while 1824 McGee was leased to Franklin-Williams Motor Company. The buildings saw various uses over the years.

Flatland KC reported in 2018 that developers planned to convert the site into office space. They planned to seek tax credits, Flatland reported. JE Dunn Construction was named as the contractor for the proposed project.

Another real estate listing showed plans for a mix of office, retail space and a rooftop that could be ready by the end of 2022. It wasn’t immediately clear why the redevelopment plans fell through.

Now, the site is expected to be demolished. The parcels are owned by M19 Master, LLC, which Jackson County tax records list under the same address as JE Dunn’s headquarters.

JE Dunn spokesperson Maggie Kolb told the Star in an email that the property was found to be in advanced structural decline after a thorough inspection.

“Safety is our top priority and to protect the citizens in the area and structures around the building, the responsible decision has been made to demolish the building,” and future plans for the property are still being evaluated, Kolb said.

The permits came just days before the City Council approved new rules that could delay demolitions of potentially historic buildings to allow more time for officials to consider an alternative.

This story was originally published December 30, 2024 at 10:05 AM.