historic preservation

Jackson County municipalities asked voters to renew or implement a handful of new government programs and taxes, including a longstanding anti-crime sales tax. However, not all of them passed.

If approved, General Obligation Bond Question No. 1 would fund deferred maintenance and restoration at five of the city’s historic landmarks. The proposal comes after Independence voters rejected a $12 million bond for historical sites last year.

For the first time in five years, the nonprofit Historic KC has released its list of “Most Endangered Places” in Kansas City. The organization hopes it could lead to the restoration of buildings that demonstrate the region's architectural heritage.

Englewood Theater in Independence, Missouri, sat vacant for nearly 20 years before a nonprofit purchased the building in 2025. The group is in the initial stages of a large-scale revitalization project, slated to start in early 2027, that they hope will make the theater operational once again.

If President Trump signs the bill, proposed by Sen. Josh Hawley, the museum in Fulton will become one of more than 2,500 National Historic Landmarks in the country. The state already has 36 such landmarks.

The Kansas City Plan Commission unanimously blocked a motion for a 384-foot data center on top of a historic building in the Quality Hill neighborhood. Community groups want a total ban on future data centers.

A Miami-based developer submitted a proposal to replace a historic building in downtown Kansas City with a 20-story data center. Then they worked with a Georgia-based organization to attach a preservation easement on the building. Residents worry it’s a fishy way to win tax incentives.

The Sondern-Adler House was the famous architect’s first design for Kansas City. Since it was built in 1940, it has had six owners, including prominent arts philanthropist Richard J. Stern.

The discovery of an ancient Kansas settlement named Etzanoa is challenging long-held views that all Indigenous people on the Great Plains were nomadic. Plus: Kansas boasts its own version of the Liberty Bell at a small town in Marion County.

Hundreds flocked to a Kansas greenhouse to witness the colorful and pungent bloom of a rare, very smelly plant. Plus: An important bridge in Wichita was added to the National Register of Historic Places, which supporters say will aid its future preservation.

Riverside neighbors and local historians say the Minisa Bridge over the Little Arkansas River is finally getting the recognition — and the repairs and maintenance — it deserves.

A plan to renovate the Country Club Plaza is being reviewed by the Kansas City Council. Some neighbors and historic preservation advocates have concerns.