900 Baltimore Ave.

Issues concerning Downtown as described by the Downtown Council. River to 31st Street, I-35 to Bruce R. Watkins.
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swampranger
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900 Baltimore Ave.

Post by swampranger »

Anyone know anything about the small brick building on the southwest corner of 9th and Baltimore? It's been empty for as long as i've known, and i'm curious as to what it used to be, or what may be coming. There appears to be clean up work happening on the inside.
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Re: 900 Baltimore Ave.

Post by Pastense »

It's the former Lane (?) Blueprint building and is part of Rick Powell's property holdings in the area. Rick has done a beautiful rehabilitation of all the buildings on the block on the north side of 9th between Baltimore and Wyandotte and would expect no less for the Blueprint building.
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Re: 900 Baltimore Ave.

Post by DaveKCMO »

if you know the exact street address you can check for any open permits on kiva at kcmo.org/cimo.
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Re: 900 Baltimore Ave.

Post by FangKC »

That building was originally the Cosby Hotel at 101-113 W. 9th.  Half of the building was demolished.

Image

The Cosby Hotel shared the neighborhood with several other hotels along W. 9th, which was the hotel district starting in the 1880s to about the 1920s. The buildings that remain are Bunker Hotel; Orient (Delmar) Hotel (now the Stillwell Building); and Savoy Hotel.

The others that were demolished were Westgate (Kay) Hotel; Reed Hotel on the SE corner of 9th and Wyandotte (where parking garage is); Puritan (White) Hotel across from the New England Building; Moore Hotel; Yeager Hotel; Belmont Hotel, Modern House hotel on the south side of W. 9th between Central and Broadway; Merchants Hotel on the NE corner of 9th and Broadway; Buck Hotel on the north side of 9th and west of Central; and around the corner were the Nicholas Hotel and National Hotel (both on Central between 8th and 9th.

More hotels were east of Main on 9th Street. They included the Victoria Hotel at 9th and McGee; the Frederic at 9th and Oak; the Gladstone at 9th and Oak; the Broadmoor and the Armington at 9th and Oak; The Oak Haven at 9th and Oak; the Palmer at 9th and Oak; the De Lee at 9th and Oak; the Oakley  at 8th and Oak; the Sherman at Ninth and Locust; the Densmore at 9th and Locust; the Aberdeen at 9th and Cherry; The Congress at 9th and Cherry; the Auditorium Hotel at 9th and Holmes; and the New Albany at 9th and Charlotte.  The Victoria Hotel at 9th and McGee had the distinction of being the first hotel in America with baths for every suite.

The reason for so many hotels along W. 9th was because the cable car line ran down the 9th Street Incline to the old Union Depot on Union Avenue in the West Bottoms. The other reasons were because of old Federal Courthouse at 9th and Grand; Manufacturer's Exchange at 8th and Central, which was the local stock exchange; and the Kansas City Board of Trade, the commodities market, at 10th and Wyandotte.

It was also in the middle of the wholesale dry goods and garment district along Broadway and W. 7th and 8th, and the banking and insurance district (New York Life Insurance building at 9th and Baltimore) on Baltimore, Main, Walnut, and Grand; and near the large department stores and retail strip on Main from 7th to 12th streets;

There were several live performance theaters nearby: the Lyceum (104 W. 9th) next to the Orient Hotel and New England Building; the first Orpheum Theater at 9th and May (aka 9th St. Theater); the Coates Opera House at 10th and Broadway; the Sam Shubert Theater at 10th and Baltimore; the Grand Opera House at 7th and Walnut; the Theatre Royal south of 10th on Main; the Palace Theater on Main south of 9th; the Doric Theater on Walnut south of 9th; the Willis Wood at 11th and Baltimore; and the National Theater on Grand south of 10th.

Other nearby theaters were the Gillis Opera House at 5th and Walnut; the New Market Theater at 4th and Walnut; Standard (Folly) at 12th and Central; Gayety at 12th and Wyandotte; Virginia Theater (Capri, Lyric Opera) at 11th and Central; the Warder Grand (aka Auditorium) Theater at 9th and Holmes; the Liberty Theater (Roxy) at 11th and Main; the Newman at 11th and Main; the Regent at 12th and Walnut; the Esquire at 12th and Grand; the Pantages Tower at 12th and McGee; the Empress at 12th and McGee; the Globe at 13th and Walnut, the Mainstreet at 14th and Main; and the Garden Theater at 12th and McGee.   Later on the second Orpheum Theater would be built on Baltimore near 13th; and the Midland on 13th and Main.

By the mid-1920s, the hotel district moved south of 11th Street and larger buildings with numerous rooms were constructed.

Westgate Hotel at 9th and Delaware:

Image

Bunker Hotel on the NW corner of 9th and Baltimore:

Image

The Orient (Delmar) Hotel at 102-06 W. 9th Street:

Image

Puritan (White) Hotel on the NW corner of 9th and Wyandotte:

Image

Moore Hotel on the NE corner of 9th and Central:

Image

Savoy Hotel on SE corner of 9th and Central:

Image

Yeager Hotel on the SW corner at 9th and Wyandotte:

Image

W. 9th in 1920 shows the Yeager Hotel and on the right the Moore Hotel:

Image

The Victoria Hotel at 9th and McGee:

Image
Last edited by FangKC on Tue Dec 12, 2006 3:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: 900 Baltimore Ave.

Post by Brodees »

FangKC wrote: That building was originally the Cosby Hotel at 101-113 W. 9th.  Half of the building was demolished.

Image
Man, the density in that picture is truly astounding. 

Fang, if you're not going to run for mayor then your ideas/comments need to at least be archived and sent in to city hall where they can be put to good use.  Or maybe we could just make the next mayor your proxy and you can work from home.  How 'bout it? [-o<
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Re: 900 Baltimore Ave.

Post by FangKC »

Thanks for the support.  :lol:  It appears that you are advocating the Dick Cheney   :twisted:  school of ruling from behind the scenes.   [-X    Groovy.   :D/   :cheers:

Yes, the density was amazing. The distinctive architecture and texture of the built environment then was astounding to say the least. Kansas City was such a Victorian-era city.

In addition, the commerce that occurred in that era was astounding.  Kansas City was had the third or fouth largest garment district in the USA, and was among the banking and insurance capitals as well.  In the 1920s-30s, Kansas City was the third biggest convention city in the country; had the second largest stockyard and meatpacking industry after Chicago; and were the second largest rail center in the country after Chicago (still are for that matter).  More cars were built in Missouri than any other place outside of Detroit, with KC having two auto plants. Missouri is still second to Michigan in that respect.

I don't have consistently good health to have the energy to be mayor. Sorry.  :(    In addition, I don't have the political connections and support to mount a campaign, nor access to money to do so. However, I would be willing to serve in a sort of "kitchen cabinet" advisory capacity to the next mayor if asked. ;-)   I'd be perfectly happy though to serve on the landmark's commission or a TIF commission, but only if the mayor and council were actually willing to carry out recommendations. I wouldn't want to waste my time and energy if they just continued to ignore the advice of those entities.

Again, thanks for the support and encouragement. I'm very flattered. If things were different, I would have a lot of fun challenging and irritating some entrenched interests.  :P  Most of my ideas are just common sense and there are a lot of people who probably conclude the same things when they have only the well being of the city at heart, and not special interests.  Despite the lack of smart leadership and innovative thinking,  ](*,)  Kansas City has a lot going for it, and has succeeded in many respects despite the worst that has been thrown at it. We have a very durable, stable economy; educated and productive workforce; and a reasonable pace of life.

Regarding the density issue, it's very sad to look at these old photos and see the full blocks and lovely old architecture that have been lost. The reason I'm always showing these old photos is to remind people of how great this city used to look, and what a dense, vital, integrated business district looks like.  That we need to create that again.

It has been my opinion for a long time that Kansas City would have a much better convention, hotel, and tourism industry had we just not torn down so many of our great old buildings.  The charm of that era would have attracted visitors in much the same way as places like Boston, New Orleans, San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York.  People go there because they just like walking around looking at the historic cityscapes.  With so many American cities looking virtually identical these days, it would have made Kansas City very distinctive.  This used to be such a fascinating Victorian-era city.

If I could go in a time machine, I'd go back to visit Kansas City from the 1880s to 1940s.  That would be fun.  :P

As far as photos of density and change go, look in the East Village post in the next few days for a before and after rendering I've been working on. I want to show everyone how dense the east loop used to be.
Last edited by FangKC on Tue Dec 12, 2006 4:27 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: 900 Baltimore Ave.

Post by FangKC »

The former Cosby Hotel, on the SW corner of 9th and Baltimore, is being sold by Rick Powell.  The building was constructed in 1881.

http://kansascity.bizjournals.com/kansa ... a=e_du_pub
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Re: 900 Baltimore Ave.

Post by Midtownkid »

The first floor has beautiful cast iron columns and an awesome (but in bad shape) tin ceiling.  I Hope plans include restoring these things, not a gutting of the interior!

never mind...that's the other building i'm talking about
Last edited by Midtownkid on Thu Feb 18, 2010 3:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: 900 Baltimore Ave.

Post by grovester »

that link takes you to the Trazzollo story
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Re: 900 Baltimore Ave.

Post by FangKC »

The mention of the Cosby Hotel is in that story. Read on.
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Re: 900 Baltimore Ave.

Post by grovester »

thanks, missed it there at the end.
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Re: 900 Baltimore Ave.

Post by DaveKCMO »

copying this brief mention, in case the article disappears:
Powell also is selling the nearby Cosby Hotel building at the southwest corner of Ninth Street and Baltimore Avenue. Built in 1881, that three-story, 15,000-square-foot building is one of the oldest in the urban core.
i also walk by this building frequently. for awhile, it appeared that it might come down as part of the union carbide work that's still ongoing.
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Re: 900 Baltimore Ave.

Post by heatherkay »

The Urban Core Group meeting this month is next week at the KC Club and Union Carbide building.  Might be some talk about this there.
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Re: 900 Baltimore Ave.

Post by DaveKCMO »

a "fresh" before pic:

Image
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Re: 900 Baltimore Ave.

Post by FangKC »

I would hate to see the Cosby Hotel demolished. I think it's integral to the historic streetscape along Baltimore and E. 9th, which has some of the loveliest old buildings left downtown.  In preservationist parlance, the Cosby is an important contributing building.

I wish Shirley Helzberg would buy it and renovate.

Write to Shirley and ask her.

http://www.websterhousekc.com/

Then, select "contact."
Last edited by FangKC on Thu Feb 18, 2010 5:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: 900 Baltimore Ave.

Post by Midtownkid »

Wait, I thought it was getting renovated now??
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Re: 900 Baltimore Ave.

Post by grovester »

nope, put up for sale
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Re: 900 Baltimore Ave.

Post by Midtownkid »

Man, I need to read these things more carefully.  Well that building is very beautiful and unique in KC...hope it gets bought by someone w/ good intentions and restored.  Wish I had the money myself.  A real neighborhood coffee shop would be cool in that corner space.  Lofts above.
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Re: 900 Baltimore Ave.

Post by DaveKCMO »

they were working inside the westernmost section of this building today.
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Re: 900 Baltimore Ave.

Post by ComandanteCero »

DaveKCMO wrote: they were working inside the westernmost section of this building today.
it looks partially demolished...
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