Inside one of KC's oldest buildings — and its revitalization
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
The former Seiden's Furs building. Photo: Travis Meier/Axios
A 152-year-old building recently swamped with toxic water and declared dangerous by the city after a roof cave-in will be resurrected and turned into a new restaurant.
Why it matters: The revitalization will save what is considered the oldest building in Kansas City's downtown loop — an act of preservation both championed by local historians and in line with recent city efforts.
Flashback: The two-story building at 10th and Broadway first opened in 1874 as a drugstore. It became the fashion-forward Seiden's Furs clothing store and storage company during the heyday of Kansas City's Garment District in the 1930s.
- The company had a more than 70-year run before closing in 2007. The building has sat vacant ever since, leading to multiple fires and water damage.
What we're hearing: Sean O'Byrne, vice president of the Downtown Council, was touring the location years ago when his leg went through the upstairs floor.
- "My right leg, all the way up to my hip," he tells Axios, laughing. "The roof was gone, and the floor was rotten away."
Developer Chris Sally, who bought the property in 2023, tells Axios it's the craziest real estate project he's ever taken on.
- The building was littered with debris, packed with nearly 500 moldy furs and drenched in 7-inch-deep water he says had to be sucked up and shipped to Mississippi for treatment.
- "The structural engineer said catastrophic failure can happen at any time," Sally recalls. "I had to completely replace this entire roof, stabilize the entire building before I even bought it."
Between the lines: Mayor Quinton Lucas in April introduced three ordinances that would require vacant property owners to register with the city and "mothball" their buildings, and allow the city to intervene when a historic building is deemed dangerous.
What to expect: The Seiden's Furs building will become an approachable Midwestern restaurant called Loretta Jean's, according to chef Rick Mullins, who will run it with his business partner Candice Moore. "We're going to take what inspires us the most," he tells Axios.
- Mullins has worked in revered KC kitchens including The Town Company, while Moore was the general manager at Brewery Emperial.
- The restaurant's basement, where furs were stored, will have a separate bar called Josephine's.
- Loretta Jean's is named after Moore's grandmother, and Josephine is Mullins' wife's nickname.
Zoom out: Mullins and Sally say the project is about much more than opening a restaurant — it's about preserving a piece of KC history that can't be fabricated.
- It's one of the few remaining intersections where all four buildings are originals, they say.
- The second floor will be converted into apartments.
- "It's going to be around for another 150 years," Sally adds.
What we're watching: There's no opening date yet, but when the time comes, Sally says they'll relight the neon sign outside, crack open an ancient-looking safe found in the building, and maybe even park some 1930s-era cars outside.