104-year-old building gets new life as cafe, apartments
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929 Walnut is once again fully occupied. Photo: Travis Meier/Axios
A new coffee shop downtown is part of the historic redevelopment of a building more than a century old.
Why it matters: Remedy Cafe and Bar offers a new breakfast and lunch option for downtown workers and residents, while 44 new apartments above chip away at KC's housing demand.
Driving the news: Remedy officially opened last week at 10th and Walnut, with a limited food menu and coffee from Arkansas-based Onyx.
- The spot previously held Spokes Cafe, which is now located a block away on Main.
Context: The building at 929 Walnut was built in 1922 to hold city real estate records. The offices were mostly vacated by the time KC's Exact Architects bought it two years ago.
- The rehab cost $11.2 million and received a 10-year, 80% property tax abatement from KC's Economic Development Council (EDC), plus federal and state historic tax credits.
- Apartments range from about $1,200 to $2,700 a month and are already all occupied.
- Additional rooms could become a speakeasy, music labs or a coworking space.
The vibe: Rich greens, lush plants, soft lights and warm acoustic music set the scene in the cafe during a rainy day downtown, where big windows reflect the architectural range of the 20th century.
- I visited Remedy the day it opened. It has that new paint smell, literally. Hopefully the coffee aroma (and maybe a tasteful air freshener) will clear that up soon.
What to try: I take issue with anyone charging double digits for a slice of bread, but the jam and burrata toast for $12 almost felt worth it.
- Hearty and rich, jammy and fresh, it combined ingredients I don't typically have and left my stomach satisfied.
What's next: The EDC advertises it as a cocktail lounge by night, but bar service won't begin until January, cafe staff tell Axios.
If you go: It's open 7am to 3pm on weekdays, and closed on the weekends — typical for the business crowd.