ideas for the SW and SE corners of Linwood & Troost.

[ComandanteCero]

what was the building catty corner to the Lasalle Hotel?

[FangKC]

Here's a redevelopment plan showing the addition of new residential units, some retail, and additional parking.

[FangKC]

what was the building catty corner to the Lasalle Hotel?

That would appear to be the Elsmere Hotel, which was on the SE corner of Linwood and Troost.

Here is a postcard showing the Elsmere Hotel.



Here's a photo taken from the roof of the Elsmere Hotel looking east on Linwood. The small hotel building across the street to the left is the Roosevelt Hotel (now site of police station), and in the distance (center) is the apartment building on the NE corner of Linwood and Tracy (remains).



Here's a clip from a Sanborn Map showing the Elsmere Hotel placement.

[FangKC]

I'm posting some other images of buildings that were along Linwood in the 1920s, when most of these photos were taken.

The Roosevelt Hotel was a the NE corner of Linwood and Forest. The police station is there today.



The Commodore apartment building was on the SW corner of Linwood and Tracy. The structure was to the east of the Russell Stover Candy store. It was demolished and the parcel is a vacant lot.

[FangKC]

The A&P Grocery was located on the SW corner of Linwood and Forest--just east of the Elsmere Hotel.  The building has been demolished.



Russell Stover Candies was located down the street to the east of the A&P Grocery, and was located on the SE corner of Linwood and Forest.  The building remains.  The apartment building in the background (unknown name) has been demolished and the parcel remains vacant.

[midtown]

more residential would be good in that spot.  It would hopefully encourage more business development along and around Troost.  Isn't the NE corner going to become a Habitat ReStore?  Hopefully that will help get the ball rolling on revitalization along Troost.  Just having some more residential and the gamut of basic services along that stretch of Troost would do wonders.  My wife frequently mentions wishing there was an ice cream shop on Troost.  I think a gym would go over well on Troost also.  It would also be nice to have some restaurants down Troost that are a bit nicer than Krispy Krunchy Chicken, BK, and KFC.

etc.

[FangKC]

This old postcard of Linwood Blvd shows the Lucerne (first building on the right), Ormond (second), and Elsmere (in the distance) hotels on the south side of the street.

[FangKC]

The LaSalle Hotel was located on the NW corner of Linwood and Harrison. This photo is looking east towards Troost.



Looking west at the LaSalle Hotel.



An image looking west shows the intersection of Troost and Linwood at night. The LaSalle Hotel appears in the background. At left center is the Bodine Drug Store (broadcaster Walt Bodine's parents operated it) in the Ormand Hotel.

[FangKC]

The Lucerne Hotel located at the SW corner of Linwood and Harrison (921 Linwood). It later became the Thornton & Minor Sanitarium and then the Veteran's Administration building.  The structure remains.

[FangKC]

The St. Regis Hotel apartments in the 1920s. It remains at the NE corner of Paseo and Linwood.

[FangKC]

St. Joseph Hospital on the NW corner of Linwood and Prospect.  The building was demolished and the site is now a retail strip.

[ComandanteCero]

The Commodore Apartments are on the NW corner of Linwood and Tracy. The building remains.

actually, i think the Commodore was on the southwest corner of Tracy and Linwood (no longer there)   :x

Here's a map I've made showing the locations of the Lucerne (later Veterans Admin. Bldg.), LaSalle, Ormond, Elsmere, Roosevelt, and Commodore hotels, the A&P Grocery, and the Russell Stover Candies store.  The Lucerne and Commodore buildings remain.

The Commodore was on the corner where you are showing the A&P Grocery, and the A&P was actually on the southwest corner of Linwood and Forrest.

thanks for identifying the Ormond hotel, so many great buildings...

[FangKC]

After doing some more research, I found you are correct about those placements.  I have updated the map to reflect the correct placements of the aforementioned buildings.

[FangKC]

Here is a map of the corner of 31st and Troost showing the placement of the Wirthman Building and Isis Theater (theater was in the basement), the Jones Store, and the Second Church of Christ Scientist.

The Wirthman/Isis Theater and the Second Church of Christ Scientist have been demolished.  A JC Penney store was constructed on the former church site. The JC Penney store was also demolished later, and it's now the site of the transit center building.

[FangKC]

The Second Church of Christ Scientist was located on the NE corner of 31st and Troost. After it was demolished, a JC Penney store was constructed there. It too was demolished and later the transit center building was constructed there.



The Jones Store Co. department store was located on the NW corner of 31st and Troost. The building remains.



The Wirthman Building was on the SW corner of 31st and Troost. The Isis Theater was located in its' basement.  The building was demolished and the parcel is now vacant.

[lock+load]

Awesome posts Fang, thanks!

[FangKC]

Here is a photo of Troost looking south towards 31st Street. On the right you can see the Wirthman Building / Isis Theater.

[GRID]

Awesome posts Fang, thanks!

I agree, keep them coming.

But this thread is also very sad at the same time.  It's hard to believe what has happened to this area of KC.

[FangKC]

This is a photo of Troost looking north to 31st Street. The Wirthman Building / Isis Theater is on the left. Many of the retail storefronts shown in the photo still remain though.

[kboish]

Wow, thanks for the giving us a look back at that area of troost, even if it is a bit depressing.  Hopefully some new residential will be able to bring back this area...after the financial system works itself out that is.