A Crossroads building housing some of KC’s iconic eateries is up for sale
A building in Kansas City’s Crossroads neighborhood that hosts some of the city’s most iconic restaurants is for sale, but the restaurants inside have assured customers they are staying put.
The iconic brick Freight House building at 101 W. 22nd St. near Union Station is up for sale, according to RealMO The price, however, was not listed, and the listed real estate agent did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a Facebook post Saturday, Lidia’s, an Italian restaurant that makes pastas, salads and several meat dishes including lamb, salmon, pork and steak, assured customers they are not going anywhere.
“Although the building is for sale, our doors remain open, and we are proud to continue serving our guests in the same beautiful space we’ve called home for the past 28 years,” it said in the post.
Jack Stack Barbecue and Grünauer, an upscale Viennese restaurant, also confirmed to The Star on Tuesday that they plan to stay put. Both Grünauer and Lidia’s own their spaces inside Freight House, according to Jackson County property records.
“This restaurant has been part of so many celebrations, memories, and meals shared together, and we plan to keep that tradition going. In the same building, for 28 more years and beyond,” Lidia’s post said.
The Freight House was built in 1900, according to the listing, and is just under 29,000 square feet.
Built originally in 1887 for the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad, the Freight House was used as a terminal for the historic rail line, according to the historical markers database. It was a mix of freight and office, one of the first significant properties constructed in the area.
In the late ’90s, what is now known as the Freight House was transformed by Dan Clothier, a Wichita native, from a burned-out depot into the dining mecca. Then New York-based chef Lidia Bastianich was his first tenant. Civic leaders have said Lidia’s Kansas City helped give rise to the Crossroads Arts District, according to an prior Star article.
