KANSAS CITY, Mo. — In Westport, a historic stone church building saw new owners and was given new life.
The building in Midtown Kansas City, Missouri, along Broadway Boulevard, is where many gathered for church services and weddings for more than 100 years.
Now, there are new spaces curated for a new generation that's drawn the attention of more than 130,000 online.
The building, known for more than 100 years as Broadway Church, was abandoned and put up for sale.
Johnny and Abby Youssef bought the building.
The couple knows stories from the building are endless, so they wanted to create a space for a new generation of stories.
“We’re restoring something beautiful, we’re bringing an asset to our city, we’re bringing history back to the place of gathering all these emotions of excitement,” Johnny Youssef said.
The Youssefs realized many people wanted to follow the journey of renovating a historic church.
While Johnny wasn’t a social media hotshot, he had a passion for sharing.
“I just think the story is worth telling,” he said.
Millions watched their social media content, and the couple quickly went viral.
“We bought it in April 2022, two months before we got married," he said. "We thought it was going to be a six-month project."
More than two years and $3 million later, the Melrose Abbey event space was completed.
Abby Youssef led the styling of the interior.
The Youssefs also made sure to preserve history throughout the building's transformation.
“I’ve been collecting history and documentation and paperwork, and I even have the original land deed,” Johnny Youssef said.
Forty 40 weddings are already planned to take place in the space.
The finished project includes a ceremony space, balcony, reception space, bar, social lounge, bridal suites, groom’s suite, lobby and prep kitchen.
Prices for renting the space range from $5,000 to $6,800.
—
KSHB 41 reporter Megan Abundis covers Kansas City, Missouri, including neighborhoods in the southern part of the city. Share your story idea with Megan.