Developers unveil ‘The Parker’ at historic jazz site; the latest 18th & Vine reboot project

‘We will have an 18th and Vine where we don’t just tell stories, but where we make new ones,’ said Mayor Quinton Lucas. ‘And we will have an 18th and Vine that continues to be a crown jewel – not just of our Black community – but of our entire region.’

Respecting the hallowed ground of 18th & Vine’s past is critical as Kansas City’s famed jazz district moves into the future, said Leonard Graham during a groundbreaking and name unveiling ceremony Monday for a new project that gives a nod to a legendary musical icon.

Renderings of The Parker; image courtesy of Rosemann & Associates

The Parker — a $24 million development involving a historic building at the southwest corner of 18th & Vine — features a name that echoes the legacy of jazz pioneer Charlie Parker.

It is expected to include renovation of the House of Hits building (1511-13 E. 18th St.) and the construction of two new mixed-use buildings that include more than 10,000 square feet of street-level commercial space and 48 high-quality, mixed-income residential units. And it aims to blend cultural preservation with forward-looking investment and inclusive growth, according to developers.

The future site of The Parker was once home to such legendary Kansas City establishments as Piccolo’s, Fox’s Tavern, and the Kansas City Monarchs headquarters, noted Graham, who has been working on projects in the Jazz District for more than 30 years with the 18th & Vine Developers LLC and is also the president of Taliaferro & Browne, one of the 10 finalists for the KC Chamber’s Small Business of the Year.

“We’ll respect the district’s history and its roots as the home of Kansas City jazz and the Negro Leagues Baseball,” he said.

“We stand on the shoulders of our ancestors who came before us,” continued Kelvin Simmons, chairman of the Vine Street Community Improvement District, “and we’re hoping that with this project, we will make them proud.”

“So the old and the new with The Parker will all come together,” he added.

Leonard Graham, president of Taliaferro & Browne, speaks during a groundbreaking ceremony in the 18th & Vine Jazz District for The Parker; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

It’s going to be messy in the jazz district for the next couple of years, Graham continued, noting this development as well as the 18th Street pedestrian mall, renovations of the Boone Theater, and the coming expansion of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.

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“But construction disruption, dust and orange barrels is the price of progress that we pay for creation of a new 18th and Vine historic district,” he said.

“We will have an 18th and Vine where we don’t just tell stories, but where we make new ones,” added Mayor Quinton Lucas. “And we will have an 18th and Vine that continues to be a crown jewel – not just of our Black community – but of our entire region.”

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Backed by significant public and private investment, including $4 million in Central City Economic Development (CCED) sales tax funding, officials said, the Parker development is set to revitalize blighted property, support local entrepreneurship, and enhance public infrastructure along 18th Street, Vine Street and The Paseo, ultimately establishing a dynamic new gateway into the district.

“The redevelopment will have mixed-income housing and retail, which will be part of our commitment to — not only provide opportunities for housing — but also provide economic development opportunities for aspiring emerging entrepreneurs,” said Vincent Bennett, CEO of McCormack Baron Salazar. 

“It’s about Kansas City,” Simmons noted. “We’ll have the opportunity for entrepreneurship. That’s why we’re going to partner with KC G.I.F.T., who recently celebrated its fifth anniversary and is doing amazing work in this community.”