Gates home prior to its leveling in 1971.... the Carriage house is visible on the right in back.
Until 1971 a beautiful Victorian mansion stood on the corner of Independence Boulevard and Garfield Avenue in Pendleton Heights. Built by millionaire Jemuel Gates who fronted the money to build the first Children's Mercy Hospital 4 blocks to the west, the house was leveled to build a church. However, the carriage house remained untouched... until now. Due to a city worker bee error (she forgot to check to see if the building was on the historic register) and an over zealous contractor who did not yet have full permission to begin demolition... the building has been reduced to a shell. Intervention by neighborhood leaders... chiefly Kent Dicus... has led to a 15-day halt to the demolition... which shouldn't have happened in the first place. Here's what the Gate's Carriage House looked like on Friday afternoon.
Until 1971 a beautiful Victorian mansion stood on the corner of Independence Boulevard and Garfield Avenue in Pendleton Heights. Built by millionaire Jemuel Gates who fronted the money to build the first Children's Mercy Hospital 4 blocks to the west, the house was leveled to build a church. However, the carriage house remained untouched... until now. Due to a city worker bee error (she forgot to check to see if the building was on the historic register) and an over zealous contractor who did not yet have full permission to begin demolition... the building has been reduced to a shell. Intervention by neighborhood leaders... chiefly Kent Dicus... has led to a 15-day halt to the demolition... which shouldn't have happened in the first place. Here's what the Gate's Carriage House looked like on Friday afternoon.
Pendelton Heights cannot catch a break. Between sabotage for its own neighborhood "leaders" and the "just do it and get the permits later" attitude this "podunk" town fosters, there will soon be nothing left to make Kansas City any different from suburban Johnson County.
ReplyDeleteYeesh, this city will be lucky if it can keep any of its old homes/buildings standing much longer.
ReplyDeleteSo is there a fine for knocking down a building on the Register
ReplyDeleteThat's just sad.
ReplyDeleteIf the owners had just started demolishing it on their own there would be a fine... but when it's a government screw up there isn't. It is entirely possible that the contractor will be in trouble for jumping the gun though. Just came from a meeting where we decided to ask the Landmark Commission to send a resolution to the city council that will mandate notification by Dangerous Buildings or any other agency that issues demo permits ... of any pending demo of an historic structure or a structure within an historic district.
ReplyDeleteI recognize that Carriage House! Dang it! I can't believe that they get away with this so much. Keep us posted on the resolution...
ReplyDelete