New Offices Proposed for Symphony

Philanthropist Shirley Helzberg plans to restore and expand the old Vitagraph Film Exchange Building at 17th and Wyandotte for symphony offices and other tenants. Its close proximity to the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, now under construction, makes it a good choice for the Kansas City Symphony administrative offices. "Helzberg's development arm, Walnut Creek Ranch LLC, owns all the properties in the proposed TIF district except for 1708 Baltimore Ave. and 270 W. 18th St." "The four-story Vitagraph building was completed in 1930 and originally was used by Warner Brothers to store and distribute films. Several nearby buildings served a similar purpose between the 1920s and the 1970s, and the area is known as Film Row. The Vitagraph building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which makes it eligible for historic preservation tax credits."