What’s the flower blooming over Lenexa, Overland Park? History of iconic JoCo building
For over 50 years, a concrete flower has bloomed in Lenexa, a beacon for Kansas drivers on I-35 by Lenexa and Overland Park.
The 45-foot-tall petals tower over 8101 Lenexa Drive, a rare unique touch to the otherwise nondescript warehouse. The unique architectural landmark marks where southbound 69 Highway splits off from the interstate.
The structure sprawling over 160,000 square feet at 8101 Lenexa Drive houses self-storage facility Extra Space Storage and two moving companies. Extra Space declined to comment for this story.
The structure was constructed for fabric distributor Eisen Mercantile, also known as House of Fabrics, and completed in 1970, according to the Johnson County property records. Architects with the Kansas City firm Bloomgarten and Frohwerk designed the structure and had previously worked on a number of art deco-style buildings, including the Katz Drug Store on Main Street.
In a 1968 Star article, Harry Eisen, vice president of the company said, “The building design includes a circular entry foyer with towering external structures in the form of flower petals. This was added for aesthetic purposes, and to help give the building an identity.”
The Eisen Mercantile got a $3.2 million loan to build the warehouse, which held up to 15 million yards of fabric. The Kansas City-founded business had over 160 stores in 22 states in 1968.
After its construction, the building changed hands multiple times. In its first five years it went from House of Fabrics to women’s clothing company Gay Gibson and then the company now called Lee Jeans.
But petal-like structure remained a standout. A 1975 Star article touted the structure’s “parking space for about 200 cars and 17 dock spaces,” and its “unique concrete tower.”
In December and January, crews cleaned and patched the pillars and applied a water-based sealer to the petals, preserving the structure for the next 50 years.
Have more questions about Kansas City area landmarks? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.
This story was originally published February 26, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
