Endangered buildings list highlights historic preservation fights
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
A historic Midtown building at 3521 Baltimore is coming down. Photo: Travis Meier/Axios
Kansas City leaders are tightening historic preservation laws as recent high-profile demolitions spark pushback from residents and preservationists.
Why it matters: "Demolition by neglect," where owners let buildings fall into disrepair to bypass historic protections, can affect a city's identity and reduce affordable housing, according to a report the city manager's office released this year.
Driving the news: Historic KC this month published an updated "Most Endangered Places List," the nonprofit's first overhaul in five years driven by several high-profile preservation cases in recent years, executive director Ethan Starr tells Axios.
- Starr says multiple demolitions in the past year that used a "loophole" in the city's historic protections prompted legislative action and a strong public response.
Zoom in: Demolition applications for buildings 50 years or older trigger a delay and review by the city's Historic Preservation Commission, which can make it harder to green-light demolition.
- The loophole appears when a building's owner bypasses protections by having the city deem it "dangerous."
- "An owner allows a property to deteriorate, then hires an engineer to opine that preservation or stabilization is not feasible," Historic KC wrote in a document to city leaders in April, pointing to a lack of third-party inspectors.
Case in point: The century-old New Yorker apartment building at 3521 Baltimore Ave. was torn down this month, despite being on two historic registries, after it was deemed dangerous.
- Other old buildings at 31st and Main, and the Valentine neighborhood, faced similar fates earlier this year, despite resident protests.
The other side: Owners have said repairs were too costly, and demolition was required to redevelop the land and meet the city's needs.
- We reached out to several property owners but haven't heard back.
State of play: The City Council, in collaboration with Historic KC, passed ordinances in July requiring maintenance of vacant properties and attempting to close the dangerous-building loophole.
- Another ordinance, which would add semiannual fees to required vacant building registrations, will need to be put to a citywide vote.
- Starr says some recent demolitions were grandfathered under the old rules, and he's pursuing stronger protections.
What we're watching: The fate of Bryant School in Brookside, which is on the updated endangered buildings list, faces "the most imminent timeline," Starr says.
- Kansas City Public Schools' demolition and redevelopment plans have been challenged by efforts to secure historic designation. A petition has gathered nearly 1,500 signatures as of Wednesday.
- The school's future could become another test of the city's efforts toward preserving historic buildings.