The former Seiden's Furs building at 935 Broadway sat with a partially collapsed roof and an emergency demolition notice hanging over it when developer Chris Sally stepped in. Crews later hauled out more than 20 dumpsters of decades-old belongings to clear the structure, and hazardous water pooled in the basement complicated the cleanup work along the way.
Sally, a local developer, obtained a contract to buy the building after the city moved to demolish it, according to Kansas City Business Journal. The deal came together in October 2023, just after the city issued an emergency demolition notice, as flatlandkc.org reported at the time. Part of the roof had collapsed more than two years earlier, prompting the city to declare the building dangerous in the first place.
Built in 1874, the structure is possibly the oldest remaining building within the Downtown Loop, per flatlandkc.org's reporting. It started life as the Brackett Brothers Drug Store before becoming home to Seiden's Furs in 1935, according to kansascity.com. The furrier operated there until 2006, the outlet reports — though Preserve Missouri's account of the building places the closure in 2007, and the discrepancy has not been resolved.
A Partial Collapse Sealed Its Fate
The roof gave way in July 2021 after heavy rains, and the property was tagged as dangerous by the city shortly afterward, according to Preserve Missouri. At the time, one estimate pegged restoration costs at roughly $2.1 million for what was described as a 14,000-square-foot building, the flatlandkc.org report on artist-studio proposals noted. A more recent account from thekcpulse.com describes the same structure as 7,500 square feet — sources disagree on the figure, and the discrepancy remains unresolved. Jackson County had estimated the property's market value at $316,135 in 2019, per flatlandkc.org.
Before Sally's rescue, the building's future was genuinely uncertain. A bizjournals.com report from June 2023 noted the site was not yet out of the running for a productive reuse as retail or restaurant space, even as demolition loomed. Ideas floated at various points included a basement speakeasy, a rooftop bar, and artist studios, flatlandkc.org reported — including a vision from artist Peregrine Honig to convert the space into affordable studios renting for $200 to $400 per month.
From Fur Vault to Dining Room
None of those earlier concepts stuck. Instead, the building is being redeveloped into Loretta Jean's, an approachable Midwestern restaurant from chef Rick Mullins and Candice Moore, according to Axios. The same report describes plans for a separate basement bar or private dining space called Josephine's, with the second floor converted into apartments.
Redevelopment crews added a new roof, completed tuckpointing, and restored the original window sizes on the second story, per thekcpulse.com's update on the project. Kansascity.com reports that the restaurant intends to preserve pieces of the building's retail past, including a fur vault, a money safe, vintage posters and fashion mannequins, giving the space an old-world feel once it opens.
The project earned a 2025 Historic Kansas City Preservation Award for Neighborhood Stabilization, according to Kansas City Magazine. The same outlet reports Loretta Jean's is scheduled to open in fall 2026, though an exact opening date has not been confirmed.
Part of a Broader Preservation Push
Seiden's isn't the only brush with the wrecking ball that's ended in a second act downtown. The former Cosby Hotel, an 1881 structure, was also crumbling and set for demolition before developers restored it into offices and restaurants, flatlandkc.org notes. The pattern has drawn renewed attention from City Hall and preservation groups alike: Mayor Quinton Lucas introduced a trio of ordinances aimed at helping save historic buildings from disrepair, according to KCUR, and the nonprofit Historic KC recently released its first Most Endangered Places list in five years, KCUR also reported, hoping it spurs restoration of buildings reflecting the region's architectural heritage.
