Goodwill Considers $50M ‘Opportunity Campus’ in East Crossroads

By Kevin Collison

Goodwill Industries has decided to hold onto its former building at 18th and Charlotte in the East Crossroads and is considering demolishing it to make way for a $50 million office, education and social service center.

The agency listed the four-story, 78,000 square-foot building for sale three years ago after it relocated its operations to a building across the street at 1800 Charlotte. The former warehouse, office and training center was built in 1923 and completed an addition in 1977.

At one point, the Keystone Innovation District initiative was pursuing a concept to renovate the building at 18th and Charlotte to accommodate its entrepreneurial programs, but that plan collapsed a year ago.

Keystone, a strategic economic development initiative backed by the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City, ultimately opened in shared space at Goodwill’s new facility across East 18th Street.

Goodwill now has its facility at 800 E. 18th St.

In a preliminary proposal submitted to the City Planning Department, Goodwill is now proposing to build an “opportunity campus” on the site of its former warehouse. It calls for a four-story, 80,000 square-foot building at the southeast corner of 18th and Campbell

The proposed building would include community outreach, education, community rooms, Goodwill offices, and potential spaces for tenants such as a bank, medical clinic and child care center, according to the filing with the city.

The agency estimated that 60 employees would work there. Construction would tentatively begin in mid-2025 and be completed by the end of 2026.

Gregg Hibbeler, Goodwill senior director for marketing and communications, said the proposal hasn’t been finalized at this point.

This project is still in its initial feasibility stage and has yet to formalize its size, scope, name, and potential services to our community,” he said.

“Last fall, we conducted a community needs assessment and are exploring how we can better deliver our mission to those most vulnerable individuals and families in Kansas City.”