Vine Street theater to reopen as KC cultural hub after long restoration process

The Boone Theater will reopen May 1 with a ribbon cutting and community open house, marking a significant step in the long-running effort to restore one of the 18th & Vine Historic Jazz District’s most prominent historic structures.

The reopening follows years of planning tied to an $8.7 million redevelopment effort aimed at returning the nearly century-old structure to active use. Originally opened in 1924 and later renamed for pianist John “Blind” Boone, the theater has remained largely inactive for decades, despite multiple attempts to revive it. Prior to redevelopment, the building showed significant deterioration after years of disuse.

The event, organized by the Vine Collaborative LCC, is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. with a formal program, followed by a public open house from 3 to 5 p.m. The opening coincides with First Friday activity in the district, adding to foot traffic in an area already navigating ongoing construction tied to the 18th Street pedestrian mall

For attendees, the May 1 event will serve as the first opportunity to walk through the renovated building and see how the space has been reconfigured over the past year and a half. The open house will include access to multiple areas inside the theater, along with displays such as student artwork from Lincoln College Prep, linking the building’s history to its future role within the community.

The current redevelopment effort is led by Vine Street Collaborative LLC, a group formed by Jason Parson along with partners Shomari Benton and Tim Duggan, who all had prior experience working together on projects in and around the district. Their work on the Boone Theater builds on earlier efforts along Vine Street, including adaptive reuse projects that introduced new commercial and cultural spaces to the area.

“It is incredible when we think about the decades that the Boone sat empty and to know where we are today, to breathe life back into it,” Parson said. “You can just tell it was waiting to be resuscitated, and we have done that.”

The groundbreaking for the initial work took place in Ocotber 2024. Project leaders have emphasized that restoring the Boone Theater is not simply about preservation, but about creating a space that supports consistent activity. The building has been designed as a multi-use venue capable of hosting films, live performances and private events, while also incorporating professional office space on its upper floors. Members of the development team plan to maintain offices within the building, signaling long-term investment.

The project has faced challenges common to historic redevelopment, including maintaining the integrity of the structure while securing the funding needed to complete construction. Work officially began in October 2024 after an extended period of planning, environmental review and financing. Developers have also navigated a shifting funding environment that added pressure to the timeline.

“It is a reflection of the historic jazz district when you think about having investment in such an iconic structure and being able to see, through hard work and many years of trying to put the pieces together, that it is happening,” Parson said. “We are all proud of it.”

The reopening is also being framed within the broader context of development across 18th and Vine. The district, long recognized for its role in Black cultural history, is seeing renewed investment aimed at strengthening its identity as a destination. The theater sits near the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and the American Jazz Museum, contributing to a growing concentration of cultural institutions.

Developers say the Boone Theater will help address a gap in the district’s infrastructure by providing a consistent venue for programming that has been limited in recent years. With the ability to host movies, stage productions and concerts, the building is expected to draw visitors back to the area on a more regular basis.

“The Boone Theater will be an active building, one where we welcome community events, whether that is a movie, a wedding or something else,” Parson said. “Our doors are open and we want to make sure the community feels welcome.”

In addition to performance and event space, the building will include updated amenities such as a new sound system, movie screen, bar area and supporting facilities for performers and event organizers. These additions are intended to make the theater functional for modern use while preserving its historical identity.

While the Black Movie Hall of Fame is planned as a future component of the building, it will not be part of the May 1 opening. That project remains in development as fundraising and exhibit planning continue.

For those involved, the reopening represents more than a single project. It is viewed as visible progress in a district that has long faced both investment and disinvestment. Bringing the public inside the building is intended to show how far the project has come and what could follow.

“The renovation is spectacular,” said Shawn Edwards., founder of the the Black Movie Hall of Fame, which will be housed within. “It is a more than 100-year-old building that has been brought back to life and now the community will get a chance to see that progress firsthand.”

For organizers and developers, the long-term success of the Boone Theater will depend on sustained use. The focus now shifts from construction to programming, with the expectation that consistent activity will help reestablish 18th and Vine as a year-round destination.

“I just want people to see that there has been real progress made in the district and that things are moving in a positive direction,” Edwards said. “When people can see it for themselves, they will believe it and hopefully they will support it.”