KCRag Forum

Sorry if I've completely missed what's happening with it, but can anyone tell me?  Did search on this board and didn't find anything under that name.  You guys have the real lowdown on historic buildings being revitalized, so I thought I'd ask.

It's featured in the Hometown beer history book, and listed as in brewery operation from 1901 to 1919.  It's been hidden by the silos as long as I've been alive, so this is the first time I've ever seen it.  Pretty imposing building.  Reminds me of the KD Station building in North Sioux City.  Huge and imposing in an otherwise flat industrial area.  All the windows are broken, and there's equipment still around, and I've been sort of holding my breath after they knocked the silos down to see if the rest of it would go.  I was pleasantly surprised to see it still there.

Again, sorry if it's a dumb or repeat question, as I'm new to this board.

Republic Brewery... that's what it was called...

and i'm glad to see the building is still there...

Thanks voltopt.  I've been really impressed with your information on the bridge thread.  I thought you might know something about that brewery.  Do you know if they're going to keep it?  I can't imagine how expensive it might be to save.

My mother worked in historic preservation in the seventies.  Back then, of course, they lost most every battle.  People just knocked stuff down.  Things like the cold storage renovation really make her day now.

I've worked in the West Bottoms for ten years or so now.  I go up and down Southwest each day, and really didn't get interested until DST started renovating the roundhouse.  Once that happened, I started studying the area, finding out about the stockyards (where my grandfather worked) and KC Bolt and Nut (where my great-grandfather worked).  Then the L, the tunnels, the ninth and twelfth street bridges, etc.  I've pointed out that brewery building to friends for a while now, but no one really seemed interested until now (that they can see it fully).  Before the highway it must have dominated the landscape.  How would I find out what they're going to do with it?

http://www.beerhistory.com/library/hold ... tour.shtml

this seems to indicate it WAS called the Imperial Brewery.
I have no idea what the plan is for the site... i remember hearing a couple of years ago that this building was being studied for its potential reuse, but the fact it is across railroad tracks from SW boulevard might limit that.  it would be a cool building to rehabilitate..

There is another thread around here on the subject but I can't remember what name.  The long and short of it is that aparently no one knows what is going on.  It is a cool building, would be nice to see something done with it.  Seems like it could be a very cool office conversion. 

it would be an interesting project, consider its limited vehicle and pedestrian access, and imposing hill to the west.

Fantastic map!  I can see what you were saying.  Appears to be no access anywhere except the rr beds.  They would have to bridge the active tracks or come from the back.  (BTW...do you know where the streetcar engine house was down here?  I found photos saying SW Blvd and showing the building, but no landmarks I could recognize.)

I'm going to try to get a decent phone-cam pic of the building(s) on lunch.  There's a second small building, same arch. style, that was totally invisible until now as well.  I need to get some better pics of if before they flatten it (if they do).  Seems very strange to spend the money to knock down just the silos unless they were a hazard and/or structurally unsound.

one-mans-junk has a couple of bottles from one or both of the Imperial Breweries:

http://www.one-mans-junk.com/beerbottle ... rialkc.htm

Dmeister wrote: Fantastic map!

http://earth.google.com

Enjoy.

Lots of demolition permits in Kiva saying that they are doing a phased demolition, but no indication if the original structure will be demolished or not.  It was also a flour mill at some point in time.  It's currently owned by the KC Terminal Railway, which owns much of the shared railroal infrastructure in the central city.  Here's a side view from Virtual Earth.

bahua wrote: http://earth.google.com

Enjoy.

Thanks.  I was aware of it, but didn't realize it could do mark-ups like that.

ahh, google earth with a quick (and i mean quick) photoshop CS2 touch.

Dmeister wrote: (BTW...do you know where the streetcar engine house was down here?  I found photos saying SW Blvd and showing the building, but no landmarks I could recognize.)

The old ROundhouse was actually W. of there and up on a higher elevation than SW Blvd. In the Google map posted above, If I remember right, it was either in that big vacant area just W. of I-35 or it was just W. of the little compass down in the lower left corner.
Either way, it was there til a few months ago.

Sportster
...another landmark lost

Sportster wrote: The old ROundhouse was actually W. of there and up on a higher elevation than SW Blvd. In the Google map posted above, If I remember right, it was either in that big vacant area just W. of I-35 or it was just W. of the little compass down in the lower left corner.
Either way, it was there til a few months ago.

Sportster
...another landmark lost

It was rebuilt as a DST facility.  Its just north of here.  Part of a whole campus. 

we will someday regret how badly we let the west bottoms get destroyed in the name of progress, and this building is real unique. some friends of mine and i managed to get some peeks of it about 12 years ago, there were 3 of us who went out "exploring" things in the bottoms in the summer, and we made it over here. we only attained limited access to the building, but man, there is some real interesting equipment in this building. not sure if it has to do with milling, or what, it is real unique. well, in 93 it was real unique.

if you get a chance to hoof it over there, and peep it out, do it. just based on it's infrastructure alone, i am guessing it will die, way hard to access it. any  company redoing it would have to have deep pockets.

I noticed that sometime in the last week or so they removed the crane that did the wrecking ball work on the silos from the site.  I don't suppose this proves that they are going to do anything with the brewery building but at least it seems it will live awhile longer.

I drove by the building on my way to the Cambridge entrance to 35 over the weekend and noticed that there was a survey crew working on the site.  Somebody must know what is going on?   

Woah - actual development news this week. 

Hendricks has an article on the brewery.  Its starts out sounding fairly bleak but the new owner seems game to do something positive with it but it doesn't look like they know what yet. 

At the very least he mentions some additional security measures aimed at deterring vandals and squatters. 

http://www.kansascity.com/news/columnis ... 50867.html

great to know that it's in good hands. the awkward location (is there an actual access road?) will continue to be problematic.

DaveKCMO wrote: (is there an actual access road?)

Its like a dirt road between the railroad tracks.

I would guess it will need some kind of specialty use like office or light manufacturing.  The access will be really challenging for housing or retail.