Kansas City's past, from the Civil War to the post-modern era, is preserved in some of its oldest architectural wonders — though their futures are uncertain.
Amanda Crawley, executive director of Historic Kansas City, and Jim Wanser, treasurer, joined host Steve Kraske on Up To Date to discuss the organization's most recent endangered buildings list.
Here are some of the structures on the list:
Sauer Castle, 935 Shawnee Rd, Kansas City, Kansas
"It's a house that either conjures images of a fairytale or of a nightmare, depending on how you look at it. There are a lot of fables about it being haunted," says Crawley. (KCUR reported on the status of Sauer Castle last year.)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Building, Film Row, 220-224 W. 18th Street, Kansas City, Missouri
"Kansas City happened to be one of the major film distribution centers in the country... and the MGM building is one of [the buildings associated with that industry] that has not been rehabbed and is deteriorating and is one of those cases we hope to bring some attention to that before it's too late," Crawley says.
Midwest Hotel, 20th and Main, Kansas City, Missouri
"It's a really interesting 5-story, terra-cotta clad building and for a number of years went through bank ownership and foreclosure, and I was really excited that just a couple days ago the owner who closed on the property sent us an email and said, 'I just bought the Midwest hotel and want to have a conversation with you,'" says Crawley.
"Nelsonhood" and Kirkwood Mansion, 46th and Rockhill Road, Kansas City, Missouri
"The properties in peril are the four mansions on 45th street across from the reflective pool and then the Kirkwood Mansion, which was the home of Laura Kirkwood ... and was formally used as the Rockhill tennis club," says Wanser.
