Looking for KC’s most endangered buildings

One of the top ten most endangered buildings in Kansas City last year was the Knickerbocker Apartments at 510-531 Knickerbocker Place in the Valentine neighborhood. The Historic Kansas City Foundation is asking for nominations for this year’s list.

The Historic Kansas City Foundation wants nominations for Kansas City’s most endangered  buildings.

The foundation develops a list each year.

“It’s a way to call attention to buildings that are in danger and to inform the public. It also helps the public to stay engaged in what happens to these properties,”  the foundation’s Amanda Crawley says.

The foundation gets nominations from the public each year, and also takes nominations from its board and volunteers. The foundation uses the nomination to prioritize the work it will do in the coming year.

“It’s very important for people to get involved,” she says. “We need public involvement to make this process work.”

The Historic Kansas City Foundation has been conducting the most endangered program for several years.

Crawley says Midtown buildings, along with those in Downtown and the West Bottoms, often dominate the list. Buildings may be endangered because of neglect or redevelopment pressure.

She says this year, they may also be threatened because of a proposed state cap on historic tax credits.

According to a press release from the Alliance for Investment, Jobs and Preservation, the Missouri legislature is considering a reduction in historic tax credits, which are often used by developers to redevelop older buildings. “Slashing this credit is only going to send major developers to other states, and make it harder for small projects to access what is often the only incentive available for small scale developments,” according to the alliance.

The 1211 Most Endangered Buildings List included:

• KCMO closed schools
• Lane Blueprint Building, 1520 Main
• Knickerbocker Apartments, 510-531 Knickerbocker Place
• The historic Country Club Plaza and Country Cub District
• Wheatley Provident Hospital, 1822-1826 Forest
• Hawthorne Plaza Apartments, 3835 Main
• Leona Pouncey Thurman Law Office Building, 1505 E. 18^th St.
• Donaldson House, KC Art Institute, 4347 Oak
• Disney Building (Laugh-O-Gram), 1127 E. 31^st Street
• Kansas City, Missouri Historic Preservation and Long Range Planning Programs

Details

To nominate a building for the most endangered list:

• Fill out an application form 

The deadline for nominations is April 19.