The current estimated residential population of approximately 7,000 is nearly 90% African American, compared to 30% citywide. The neighborhood is home to nearly 300 private businesses and nonprofit organizations employing more than 6,400 people. The 18th and Vine Historic District is a center of African- American life and heritage within the city. Census data indicating a drop in population within the urban core between 20. Kansas City’s population is just over 460,000 residents, with U.S. Today a renaissance of arts and culture is underway in Kansas City, with grass-roots driven growth in the Crossroads Arts District as well as over one billion dollars of recent investment in arts infrastructure, most notably the $400 million Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and the $200 million Bloch Building expansion for the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. The Boone Theater was originally constructed in 1922 and named in honor of John “Blind” Boone, a renowned African- American concert pianist who bridged folk and ragtime traditions. Now a registered historic district, the area is home to many nightclubs and theatres, including the restored Gem Theater, the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, and the American Jazz Museum. Located just east of downtown, the 18th and Vine Historic District was a thriving commercial, residential, and entertainment district in the 1920s. Kansas City is also known as one of the “cradles of jazz” and the development of a distinctive riff-based sound in the 18th and Vine area.
The city is well- known for its cultural tradition of barbeque food with over 100 restaurants and several annual contests. The metropolitan area spans the Kansas / Missouri border and stretches over 300 square miles. Kansas City, the largest city in Missouri, was founded in the 1830’s as a port along the Missouri River. City leaders saw this as an opportunity for the District and recognized the potential of restoring the Boone Theater, a significant structure within the District, to provide a new performance space for the arts community and to begin to knit the dispersed public spaces along the corridor back together. Conversely, over the last decade Kansas City as a whole has experienced a surge of investment in arts and culture, despite the economic downturn. Unfortunately, the area has experienced economic struggles in recent decades. Once a thriving center of arts and culture, the 18th and Vine Historic District in Kansas City, Missouri, was the birthplace of a distinctive type of American Jazz. Photo courtesy of the Downtown Council How can the restoration of a historic structure assist in the revitalization of an arts and culture district facing economic challenges?