Ninety-six years after it was built, a stately 3,000-square-foot Tudor-style home near Ward Parkway — valued by Zillow at $1.3 million — was approved Monday for demolition, albeit without a city public hearing.
When Christopher and Andrea Ketcherside purchased the home on Mercier Street in the Sunset Hill neighborhood of Kansas City 13 years ago, they had no intention of razing the structure and building anew. But after years of dealing with the constant flooding and other issues that plague old homes, the Ketchersides hired an architect to design a new home in the spirit of their old and applied for a demolition permit on January 16.
“The reason we bought the house is because of the aesthetic,” Andrea Ketcherside told The Star last week, regarding their proposed demolition. “We love where we live. We love the look of that neighborhood. I totally understand the ruffled feathers.”
In December 2024, the Kansas City Council passed an ordinance aimed at saving historic structures from demolition.
Why no public hearing?
The law requires the staff of Kansas City Office of Historic Preservation to assess the proposed demolition of any building 50 years old or older (other than outbuildings, such as sheds, or others on the dangerous buildings list) to see if those buildings meet the criteria to be listed on the Kansas City Register of Historic Places or the National Register of Historic Places.
If the staff determines that a building is eligible, the staff’s recommendation must be presented before the Historic Preservation Commission for a public hearing within 45 days of receipt of the demolition application. The hearing is meant to allow time for neighborhood groups, preservation groups, or other interested parties to possibly file applications for a building to be placed on one of the historic registries. If an application for historic status is pending, demolition can be further postponed…