New affordable housing & a historical renovation on the way to KC’s 18th & Vine District
Construction on two new affordable apartment buildings and renovation of a historic building that could become a music venue could begin in the coming weeks in Kansas City’s 18th & Vine Jazz District.
18th & Vine Developers LLC plans to redevelop property off the intersection of East 18th Street and The Paseo with 48 units of new housing and 10,000 square feet of commercial space, including the renovation of the House of Hits building, which was built around 1900 and had various tenants over the years, including offices for the Kansas City Monarchs team in the Nego Leagues in 1930.
Developers say the project will help carry out the city’s goal of building denser, affordable housing while reducing blight and creating jobs and businesses in the neighborhood as 18th & Vine continues to see new investment.
There will be five market-rate units, 35 units for residents making up to 60% of the area median income and eight units for residents making up to 30% of the area median income, which for a family of two is $49,500.
The project joins several other developments that have been completed in Kansas City’s Jazz District and more that are on the way, including the large-scale reconstruction of the Parade Parks Homes and an expansion of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum with a new campus, a hotel and a parking garage.
Developers hope to include a restaurant in the new commercial space and are eyeing the House of Hits building, which collapsed in 2021, for a music entertainment venue.
“As you start to look up and down the street of what’s happening in 18th & Vine, the beauty is that this iconic neighborhood will have restoration of some of its buildings that have been there for more than 100 years,” said Kelvin Simmons, part of the development team and a former Kansas City City Council member.
The city currently owns the property and is expected to sell the land to the developers for $1 under an agreement signed in 2022. Other support for the $23 million project includes funds from the city’s Housing Trust Fund, Central City Economic Development sales tax district and Community Development Block Grant.
Construction could begin within 60 days and take 16 to 18 months to finish.