Armour Boulevard Apartments

SCOPE OF WORK: National Register District Boundary Extension;
Federal & Missouri Historic Tax Credit Applications
CLIENT: Eagle Point Enterprises
INVESTMENT: $45,000,000
COMPLETED: Fall 2008
AWARDS: Preserve Missouri Statewide Preservation Award (2009);
Historic Kansas City Foundation Rehabilitation Award (2009)

The Georgian Court, Linda Vista, and Bainbridge rehabilitation project includes seven early-twentieth century buildings located within Kansas City’s historic Armour Boulevard apartment corridor. All are contributing resources to the National Register-listed Armour Boulevard Multiple Resource Area. Since World War II, many apartment buildings along Armour Boulevard have become low-income housing, falling into disrepair by virtue of neglect and low-quality “upgrades.” When the Georgian Court, Linda Vista and Bainbridge buildings became Section 8 housing in the late 1970s, they were renovated with generic, low-grade materials that significantly diminished their historic character. Multi-light windows were replaced with double sets of aluminum storm windows; new finishes included dropped ceilings with lay-in panels, composition tile and carpet on the floors, and non-historic slab doors; historic lobbies were partitioned to create management offices and secure entries. The cumulative effect of these changes was a generic, grungy appearance that turned its back on their historic qualities.

Eagle Point Enterprises purchased these blighted buildings out of foreclosure in the fall of 2005 intent on renovating them to provide quality housing for tenants and to fulfill the existing Section 8 housing obligation. The group has a proven track record of operating affordable housing projects that treat their tenants with respect. Financing for the $45 million project involved a complicated combination of funding sources, including state and federal historic tax credits and state and federal low-income housing tax credits. The rehabilitation completed at each of the seven buildings significantly restored the exterior appearance while raising the bar (very high) for the quality of low-income housing.

The deplorable condition of the buildings at the start of the project required intensive intervention to bring the living conditions up to par and to restore the historic character of the buildings. The project team made extensive use of available historic photographs and plans to guide design decisions. Archival photos were particularly helpful in identifying the appropriate configurations and profiles for new windows, which dramatically improved the historic appearance of the buildings. Porches and entries were also restored to their original elegance, and accessible entries were sensitively added. Original interior finishes were discovered in lobbies and apartment units under insensitive and inappropriate alterations. Apartment units were significantly upgraded. Most of the existing unit configurations were not historic. New apartment layouts and higher-quality finishes created respectful and inviting living spaces.

This enormous undertaking by Eagle Point Enterprises has breathed new life into the Armour Boulevard corridor, returning seven apartment buildings to their former glory, even as they continue to operate as Section 8 low-income housing. The installation of historically appropriate windows and restoration of entry/porch details has restored soul to the buildings. On the interior, the reclaimed historic charm of the lobbies enables them to welcome residents and visitors, rather than merely shuttle them through the space. Individual apartment units have finishes that belie the residents’ low-income status. The buildings appear and feel more like boutique hotels than low-income housing. Now rehabilitated, these buildings create a dramatic string of properties along a corridor that has suffered from too much neglect in recent decades.