Johanna Pounds
Editorial Assisstant
Northeast News

The history of Jazz in Kansas City is long. Jazz boomed onto the local scene during the 1920s. 18th & Vine became known nationally in the 1920s and 1930s as the epicenter of the city’s African-American community.

In 1942, by the hit of World War II, the jazz district started to slow down. Although it did not go completely under the radar, most musicians were either drafted or left town due to lack of job opportunities.

Now, the city has introduced a three-step plan at an attempt to rebuild the Jazz District to its former glory. Phase One of the plan had a seven million dollar budget that focused on city improvements like historic building preservation, public parking improvements, and helping clean up abandoned buildings so new business could enter them.

They have already ripped off the roof, replaced the walls, and added windows to the Historic Boone Theatre. The American Jazz Museum has had light and electrical improvements. Safe, well-lit parking lots have already been constructed around 19th and Lydia.

The newest budget proposal will be 10 million dollars that will go to the rebuilding of the Buck O’Neil Education and Research Center, continued Boone Theatre Improvements, more American Jazz Museum improvements, and several intersection and road improvements to make travel easier for visitors. Buck O’ Neil Education and Research Center is being redeveloped as a Negro League Baseball Museum education center, that will have a large event space, and three floors of office space.

“Each month, new visitors, business, and residents come to see our renewed progress at 18th & Vine,” said Third District Councilman and Mayoral Candidate Quinton Lucas. “We’ve proved with a strong vision and hard work that this treasure of our community will remain a treasure of our region and for visitors from all over the world.”

The construction started in 2016, and when asked about a projected end date Lucas said, “I think the progress in this project has been measured. The answer is, how quickly can we use [the Phase Two] 10 million dollars?”

A lot of support has been garnered for the improvement of the historic district. The success of 18th & Vine plans to bring in crowds, not only on a national level, but on a global level. Every dollar of the budget goes towards the amelioration of the area, because of this, the project has very few oppositions.

Besides just the budget support that this project is receiving from all the council members involved, Lucas said, “There’s this other neat thing that’s happening: Kansas Citians want this to succeed.”