Each year Historic Kansas City announces our Most Endangered Places list of buildings and other places around Kansas City at risk of being demolished or of crumbling into obscurity. We do this to draw attention to their plight, and in hopes of attracting new owners, developers, or community groups who will commit to restore, repurpose, and maintain their unique appeal. These historic places are irreplaceable community assets that tell the story of the city and its development.
The list recognizes the many significant properties that make up our neighborhoods, reflecting the lives of community leaders, important architects, and buildings and the families who made Kansas City their home. The list also highlights the value of the city’s architectural styles and building types of rapidly disappearing residential, commercial, and public architecture. They are places that are important to the diverse history of our city and are tied to the neighborhoods and communities where they are located.
Do you know of a threatened historic place? If so, nominate it for the 2022 – 23 list of the Most Endangered Places.
Nominations will be accepted until Wednesday, September 14, 2022, at 5 pm.
Download the application HERE.
Inclusion on the Most Endangered Places list has proven beneficial for Kansas City’s historic places. For some properties, nomination to the list is the last chance for survival.
A “Most Endangered” designation:
• Focuses media and public attention on the plight of threatened historic places
• Spurs positive action and generates public support
• Creates opportunities for preservation solutions
What is an endangered property?
• A threatened historic place important to the community
• An irreplaceable local landmark fallen into disrepair
• An architecturally significant building or structure that’s been abandoned
• A historic district or building type threatened by poor planning or public policy
If you know of a historic resource that fits these descriptions, do something! Nominate the property for inclusion on the Most Endangered Places list and make the effort to preserve it heard around Kansas City.
Historic KC’s Most Endangered list is a non-exhaustive roster of notable places threatened with demolition or extreme alteration. The list is based on information publicly available (and circulated) at the time of deliberation and allows a reasonable interval for preparing the list and publishing it. The list is a call for action by all stakeholders. It follows in no particular order.
View the 2020 – 21 list HERE.