City Of KC Seeks Proposals For Redevelopment Of Baseball Legend's Historic Home

From the City of Kansas City:

May 13, 2021

Batter up! Kansas City is looking for a home run idea to preserve a historic community asset. The City has released a formal Request for Proposals (RFP) to redevelop the Paige Home, associated with a legendary Negro Leagues and Major League Baseball pitcher.

The historic home, located at 2626 E. 28th St. in the Santa Fe Neighborhood, suffered fire damage in 2018. In 2019, the Kansas City Homesteading Authority purchased the home to protect and preserve the home. A $150,000 grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation funded repair and stabilization of the structure.

“Now that this structure is stabilized, we look forward to its further restoration to ensure it remains an important historic landmark and neighborhood asset for years to come,” City Planning and Development Director Jeffrey Williams said.

Some of the requirements of the RFP include:

• A restoration plan and vision of the eventual use of the structure.
• A proposal for community use of the site on an ongoing basis through a community benefit agreement with the Santa Fe Area Council.
• Supports the neighborhood goals and encourages broader redevelopment efforts along the Prospect Corridor.

In addition, due to the home’s significant association with the legendary pitcher, proposals that wish to use the name should contact the licensing agent noted in the RFP. The deadline to apply is June 17, 2021, with selection anticipated in July.

The Kansas City Missouri Homesteading Authority (KCMHA) will select the winning proposal. The partners who will evaluate the proposals and make a recommendation to the KCMHA include Historic Kansas City, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Santa Fe Area Council.

This press release was produced by the City of Kansas City. The views expressed here are the author’s own.