New owner could decide demolition fate of $1.3 million historic mansion in Kansas City
A years-long battle over the fate of a historic $1.3 million Kansas City mansion may be nearing a turning point.
The Kansas City Art Institute has confirmed interest in purchasing the 113-year-old George B. Richards home at 4526 Warwick Blvd., a stately Southmoreland property that has been at the center of preservation disputes since 2023.
Owned by brothers Steve and Matt Vawter, the mansion has remained vacant for nearly six years as the family sought permission to demolish it, arguing that it’s too costly to fix and restore the deteriorating home. The Vawters insist the property is worth more for future development.
Neighbors and preservationists successfully pushed to have the home placed on the Kansas City Register of Historic Places, temporarily protecting it from demolition. The three-year timeline of that protection runs out in November, allowing the brothers to demolish at will.
Last week, the art institute said it was interested in purchasing the home. It is unclear if a deal will go through. Even if the property is sold, it’s unknown whether the art institute would renovate the structure or also chose to have it demolished.
A precedent for restoration does exist: In 2003, the institute restored a 1903 mansion next door into the Jannes Library.
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