Bellerive is back in play on Armour

Elite finger food, cocktails and a classic car set the tone Tuesday for Armour Boulevard’s historic Bellerive Hotel to reopen as apartments.

MAC Properties threw the bash for its latest renovation in bringing back a boulevard known for 1920s glamour that had faded to blight.

MAC, a management company, and its sister companies Antheus Capital and Silliman Group have renovated 21 properties in the corridor and will soon start on the Ambassador Apartments, 3560 Broadway.

On Tuesday, people walked past a vintage car to hear a jazz band, eat elaborate food and enjoy a cocktail.

MAC’s Peter Cassel at a recent hearing described the many new renters they are bringing to Midtown.

Many are 22-to-35 years old and are in school or recent graduates of schools like UMKC, Rockhurst and the Art Institute.

They work downtown, at the Plaza, at Crown Center, on Hospital Hill or other nearby sites.

The Bellerive, built for $2 million in 1922, was the first of many luxury hotels and apartments that lined Armour. With modern fixtures and appliances, they are rising to prominence again.