More Apartments Coming to West Bottoms

By Kevin Collison

Construction on the $29 million second phase of the West Bottoms Flats development is expected to begin this spring and its Cleveland developer already is contemplating a third installment.

MCM Company intends to complete the renovation of the Abernathy Furniture Co. building, at 1525 W. Ninth St. adding about 100 apartments to the 265-unit, first phase of West Bottoms Flats.

The first phase opened in June 2020 and is now 85 percent occupied, according to Greg DeNicola, MCM senior project manager. It included the renovation of the historic Liberty, Wyoming and part of the Abernathy building.

The Abernathy Building on West Ninth Street; the next phase of the West Bottoms Flats will renovate two vacant additions to the west.

MCM recently purchased the former Imperial Casket Building at 920 Wyoming across the street and is considering converting the 25,000 square-foot building into office or commercial space at an estimated cost of $5 million.

“The historic building will be preserved for future development,” DeNicola said. “The remainder of the site will be used as parking for the 920 Wyoming building and West Bottoms Flats complex.”

MCM and its owner, Melissa “Missy” Ferchill, are pioneering developers in the West Bottoms taking on the conversion of several of its massive historic warehouses dating back to the late 1800s and early 1900s.

The most popular apartments have been micro-units and small one-bedrooms. The monthly rents for a 534 square-foot one-bedroom are $1,050 and $1,325 for a 634 square-foot two-bedroom.

An overview of the improvements planned by the Unified Government of Wyandotte County along the Kaw River in the West Bottoms. The second phase of The Yards apartment development is the horseshoe-shaped outline in the lower center. (Image from UG Government)

The second phase calls for renovating the remainder of the Abernathy into 40 micros, 42 one-bedroom and eight, two-bedroom units. The building exterior will be repaired and the interior will be reconnected to the rest of the building.

On the other side of the West Bottoms near the Livestock Exchange Building, Flaherty & Collins has developed a new, 232-unit apartment project called The Yards and is planning a 224-unit, second phase nearby on the Kansas side near the Kaw River.

The Unified Government of Wyandotte County is planning a small park near the second Yards apartment project, and plans are continuing to progress to convert the old Rock Island  Bridge into an entertainment venue.