KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Wednesday morning, the University of Missouri-Kansas City announced long-awaited plans for the Epperson House.
Located on the south edge of campus, the historic mansion has been vacant for a decade. Before that, it served as a dormitory and conservatory space.
The Sunflower Development Group and Jen Gulvik will partner with the university to turn the 1920s home into a 14-room boutique hotel. It will offer a cafe, hydrothermal spa, full-service restaurant and small library bar.
“We want the whole neighborhood and UMKC to be proud of what this building becomes, and I can just envision people milling about, students maybe studying on the lawn, with the programming we have around wellness, having programming like yoga on the lawn, and just really offering a host of amenities to this area,” Gulvik said.
Back in 2023, UMKC put out a Request for Proposals (RFP) regarding what could be done to bring life back into the house. UMKC said the house didn’t have a future as an education space.
“While it is an amazing building, it just isn't built for university needs. It was built as a gorgeous home for the Epperson family, and we haven't been able to find the right use for it. But we're thrilled that we found a developer that's going to be able to restore it back to its former glory,” said Troy Lillebo, associate vice chancellor of external relations.
UMKC said the group was drawn to the redevelopment thanks in part to the upcoming KC Streetcar extension route ending at the university.
The house was built by local insurance tycoon Uriah Epperson and his wife Mary. It has 54 rooms, including an indoor swimming pool, billiard room, ballroom and organ.
The developers plan to apply for state and federal historic tax credits along with hiring a historic preservationist to assist with the redevelopment while paying homage to the 24,000 square feet worth of history.
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KSHB 41 reporter Claire Bradshaw covers eastern Jackson County, including Blue Springs and Independence. Share your story idea with Claire.
