West Bottoms Buildings Head Toward Redevelopment

Owners of nearby homes and businesses should watch for a formal conversion plan for 175,000 square feet of older buildings.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Commercial

West Bottoms Buildings Head Toward Redevelopment

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Molzer Development announced that 175,000 square feet of brick and timber buildings in Kansas City's West Bottoms are under contract. The announcement came on X, where developer Zach Molzer shared photos of the buildings, which sit on a block off the southeast corner of West 13th and Hickory streets.

Why it matters

For Kansas City homeowners and renters, the deal signals that more of the West Bottoms, an older neighborhood near downtown, is moving toward new housing and commercial use. Redevelopment of this kind can shape nearby rents, property values and the character of the blocks around it.

Molzer Development says 175,000 square feet of brick and timber buildings in the West Bottoms are under contract. Separately, SomeraRoad's businesses-moving-in plan for the area is valued at $500 million.

The players

Molzer Development

A Kansas City developer that recently finished converting a vacant downtown hotel into apartments.

Free Heel Capital

An investment firm partnering with Molzer Development on the West Bottoms project after working on the Aladdin building conversion.

SomeraRoad

A developer that has announced businesses moving into the West Bottoms as part of a $500 million redevelopment project.

The details

Zach Molzer announced the contract on X and attached photos of the buildings. Molzer Development is partnering with Free Heel Capital on the project, which follows Free Heel's earlier work with Molzer converting the Aladdin building into housing. Molzer Development has already finished converting a vacant downtown hotel into apartments, a track record that shows the firm's conversion approach. More developers have also planned conversion projects in the West Bottoms.

November 2, 2026: Molzer's contract announcement is dated to this day, with the post appearing November 3 in the source timeline.

The Home Front

The deal follows the same developer-and-investor conversion pattern Molzer and Free Heel Capital used on the Aladdin building. It adds to a wave of older West Bottoms structures being considered for housing and commercial reuse.

If you rent or own near the West Bottoms, watch for a formal redevelopment plan for these buildings, which is expected soon. Homeowners weighing a move into the area should talk with a licensed local agent about how nearby conversions may affect values.

The takeaway

Redevelopment in the West Bottoms is accelerating, with multiple developers now converting older buildings. Track the forthcoming redevelopment plan to see what kind of housing or commercial space may come to your block.