KSHB 41 reporter Rachel Henderson covers neighborhoods in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties. Share your story idea with Rachel.
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Kansas City, Kansas, is hoping to attract new businesses and developers to its downtown with an open spaces tour of empty buildings available for sale or lease.
The tour, hosted by Downtown Shareholders of Kansas City, Kansas, gives business owners, developers, investors and those who are curious a chance to walk through empty downtown buildings that have not been open to the public in years.
About a dozen building owners are opening up their spaces, which range from completely finished to in need of renovations.
"We have everything from office space to warehouse, from ready to move in and just turn on the lights and go," said Dawn Rattan, executive director of Downtown Shareholders of KCK.
The basement of the old Katz store, real estate developer Fran Sutton teased, has a little extra character.
"You're gonna feel like you're walking into Al Capone's lair," Sutton said.
Rattan and Sutton took KSHB 41 on a tour of the old Katz store in February.
It has been renovated inside and is now for sale.
Participants will receive sheets outlining whether each space is available for purchase or lease, and whether it qualifies for any tax benefits.
Resources will also be available with information on tax credits, licensing and permitting.
Each tour will conclude with a networking reception to encourage partnerships and project exploration.
Rattan and Sutton, who went to Sumner High School together, are spearheading the effort.
"We both love Kansas City, Kansas,” Rattan said. “We both want to see all of Kansas City, Kansas, thrive.”
Both share a passion for revitalizing the heart of their city.
"We're connectors, we're dreamers," Sutton said.
Sutton, who is also a Downtown Shareholders board member, said the vision for downtown extends beyond commercial development alone.
"Businesses and rooftops, they go hand in hand," Sutton said. "There are a lot of downtowns that are reflections of the small business community, and I think we have the same opportunity here.”
Rattan said downtown KCK's location, close to the highway and the state line, makes it an attractive option for developers and entrepreneurs across the metro.
"We want to fill these beautiful, unique, open spaces in downtown Kansas City, Kansas," Rattan said. "We want this to be the next place where young professionals want to live, work and play. We want to be a draw for the whole metro — this should be the next cool place.”
The pair hope the tour will spark investment that generates sales tax revenue, something the city says it is constantly working to grow in order to offset property tax burdens in Wyandotte County.
Commercial buildings pay twice as much in property taxes as residential properties, and some downtown spaces fall within opportunity zones or community improvement districts.
"It's going to increase traffic in downtown, jobs, businesses and residents," Rattan said. "It's going to address blight, it's going to address loitering, and we just want this to be a very walkable, pedestrian friendly place.”
For Rattan, the tour is an invitation to imagine what these spaces could become.
"We've all driven past these buildings and seen that they are empty and say, ‘Woah, that would be a cool space for this kind of business,'" Rattan said. "When you come inside and you try on these spaces, you get to dream about what can be in these spaces. You get to dream about what could be on this avenue.”
Rattan and Sutton said the effort is only the beginning, and that even more buildings could eventually be part of the tour.
"There is way more,” Sutton said. “Because there were a lot of building owners that did not come back to us that had vacant spaces.”
Rattan said they believe in their city’s potential.
"We can see the comeback,” Rattan said. “We want everyone else to see the comeback, and so this is one of those first steps. It's a labor of love for both of us.”
Rattan summed up the broader mission in a statement ahead of the tour.
"Vacancies are not the end of a story, they are the beginning," Rattan said. "Downtown Kansas City, Kansas, is on the cusp of meaningful transformation. With vision and investment, these spaces can become destinations that generate economic energy, support local businesses and anchor a thriving, connected community. The momentum is real, and we invite the region's innovators and investors to help write this next chapter."
The open spaces tour is scheduled from 4 to 6 p.m. on March 4 and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 7. It begins at the KCK Chamber of Commerce, located at 727 Minnesota Ave. in Kansas City, Kansas.
Addresses will also be listed on Downtown Shareholders' social media.
More information is available by contacting Downtown Shareholders of KCK at director@downtownkck.org.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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