[click on any of the pics to embiggen and explore the luscious detail]
The 139 year old Cosby Hotel at 9th and Baltimore is one of the oldest buildings in Kansas City and deserves to be preserved.
But it seems that the current owner may be more interested in selling a vacant lot at a prime downtown location than preserving history.
Apparently the only options are finding a buyer or putting it under the wrecking ball.
This is so puzzling because the property isn't in the middle of a blighted neighborhood where all of the other buildings are falling apart.
Far from it. The 9th St. corridor west of Main is thriving. The historic facade could be preserved and incorporated into a new building.
The owner of The Cosby recently had all of the windows removed from the building. Whether that was to remove a potential flying glass hazard during demolition or merely to hasten the natural deterioration of the building is unknown.
But it did offer an unprecedented and never to be repeated ghostly view into 139 years of Kansas City history.
The other day I made swing by The Cosby and found that all of the windows were now boarded up.
Does this mean that possible preservation has trumped greed and neglect?
Let's hope so.
ACKNOWLEGMENTS: David Remley at Hyperblogal challenged me to conduct this photo essay and his encouragement and advice have been invaluable. To the extent that this essay doesn't suck, thank you Dave! To the extent that it does suck, that's all on me.
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