KCRag Forum

Ordinance #120534

"Authorizing the City Manager to enter into a Management Agreement with the American Jazz Museum, in the amount of $647,363.00, from the American Jazz Museum account, for management and operations of the 18th and Vine Project."

Morris, as it turns out, is the former marketing director for the American Jazz Museum. In his opinion the city operates the neighborhood more like a museum instead of an entertainment district.

He advocates that the city and not-for-profit organizations like the Jazz District Redevelopment Corp. sell off their interests in most of the property they own or manage on Vine Street. He suggests that they give the responsibility of developing and marketing both new and existing businesses to private entrepreneurs.

"We have to be business minded, have an entrepreneurial approach, as opposed to let the city do it." Morris said. "Thankfully we don't have to say, ‘Wouldn't it be nice to put a museum and a night club and a theater down here and really organize a district?' That's been done. So the initial investment is here in place. Now it's time for private enterprise to take that seed corn and make it grow."

The Pouncey Building – Kansas City, Jackson County

The Pouncey Building is a 1909 2-story brick commercial building in the heart of Kansas City’s 18th and Vine Jazz District. This is one of the few remaining original office buildings in the district and is significant in its association with the social history of the district in that it was the office of the city’s first African American female lawyer, Leona Pouncey Thurman, who moved her office to this building in 1955. Missouri Preservation has been made aware that the City of Kansas City intends to move forward with demolition in anticipation of the City hosting the All Star baseball game in July 2012. The building is on the main strip of the Jazz District and in close proximity to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. It is currently on the dangerous building list. Although on the National Register of Historic Places and subject to Section 106 review, it is feared that the City desires to “fast track” the demolition as they are concerned about codes and safety, and the image of blight in the City. Listing on Missouri’s Most Endangered Historic Places will hopefully bring additional interest and awareness to the building to find a buyer who can rehab the building, as there has been interest in the past and the building is currently for sale.

Demosthenes wrote:So they tore this "blighted" building down for the all-star game? What foolishness! Did they even get it down in time, or was it demolished afterward? This is yet another crime against the African American culture and history in this city. If this building was important historically to the white community it would not have been torn down. Sad

flyingember wrote:

Demosthenes wrote:So they tore this "blighted" building down for the all-star game? What foolishness! Did they even get it down in time, or was it demolished afterward? This is yet another crime against the African American culture and history in this city. If this building was important historically to the white community it would not have been torn down. Sad

yeah, like all the buildings they tore out downtown that were important to the white community.

not everything is about race

So the past has been brought back to life, as five formerly forlorn bungalows that now show off new pastel exteriors: robin’s-egg blue, taupe, olive green, mellow yellow and russet-red.

It’s just the most visible sign of the restoration of the historic homes, along with the Rochester Hotel, in the 1800 block of Highland Avenue.

KCMax wrote:Long-deferred dream nearly a reality in 18th and Vine neighborhood

So the past has been brought back to life, as five formerly forlorn bungalows that now show off new pastel exteriors: robin’s-egg blue, taupe, olive green, mellow yellow and russet-red.

It’s just the most visible sign of the restoration of the historic homes, along with the Rochester Hotel, in the 1800 block of Highland Avenue.

The Kansas City Council approved $640,000 in civic purchases in the 18th and Vine Jazz District and $150,000 to upgrade the city's website during Thursday's council session.

The full council and Mayor Sly James unanimously approved Ordinance Nos. 130431 and 130563, which authorize the city to enter a $500,000 contract with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum Inc. to build an 45,000-square-foot educational center at the Paseo YMCA building at 18th Street and The Paseo and spend $140,000 to buy the Boone Theatre Building at the corner of 18th and Highland.

The educational facility, known as the Buck O'Neil Research and Education Center, will feature "the latest in interactive technology, state-of-the-art research equipment ... (and) an innovative curriculum for students from the city and around the country to use baseball to learn about math and science," according to a contract attached to the ordinance.

The idea for the center has been around since at least 2006, when the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum was aiming to raise $15 million to renovate the Paseo YMCA building and expand the museum.

The current ordinance has bounced around the council since it was originally filed in late May. A recent report that the city of Birmingham, Ala., wants to build a Negro Leagues museum may have helped get the ordinance passed.

The second ordinance approves a contract to buy the Boone Theatre building from the Jazz District Redevelopment Corp. for $100,000 and then spend an additional $40,000 to "stabilize" the facility for re-use, a fact sheet attached to the ordinance said.

The building then will be "made available for redevelopment" by an interested "arts organization." The money will come from the unappropriated fund balance of the city's U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Section 108 Loan Fund.