The City of Wichita has approved the demolition of three historic apartment buildings along Market and Main streets in downtown Wichita. KMUW’s Sean Sandefur has more…
The three low-rise, brick apartment buildings (507-509 S. Market and 514 S. Main) were built in the late 1920’s and are listed on both the National Register of Historic Places and the Register of Historic Kansas Places.
In a 5-1 vote, the Wichita City Council decided that the owner had exhausted all efforts to renovate the buildings, which are boarded up and commonly vandalized.
Council Member Janet Miller was the lone “no” vote.
“It’s my belief that someone out there somewhere has the resources to rehab those properties,” Miller says.
Although Wichita’s Historic Preservation Board voted unanimously to halt the demolition, Wichita City Council members hold ultimate authority. Janet Miller says this is also a concern.
“If we had a better understanding and appreciation by the City Council for the historic value of properties and the potential that they hold, that would be less of a concern,” she says.
WaterWalk LLC plans to purchase the property for commercial use.
- National Register of Historic Places Profile for the "Leona and Naomi" Apartment Buildings
- National Register of Historic Places Profile for the "Ellington" Apartment Building
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