935 Broadway “Seiden’s Fur”

Kansas City, Missouri
Jackson County

The two-story building at the corner of 10^th and Broadway in Kansas City, built in 1874 as the Brackett Brothers Drugstore, is most commonly remembered as the home of Seiden’s Furs. A 1980 architectural survey noted that the building is the oldest existing structure in Kansas City’s Central Business District. When the building closed in 2007, Seiden’s remained one of the oldest businesses in the city. The iconic, vertical neon sign spelling “SEIDENS” and an orange fox still hangs above the corner entrance and boxes of fur coats still fill the vacant building. In July 2021 heavy rains caused a partial roof collapse and shortly afterward, the property was tagged by the city as dangerous. Interested parties have attempted to acquire the building for many years but the owners have so far been resistant, requesting a sum for the property no less than one million dollars. Local artists have envisioned turning the building into Seiden’s Art Studios featuring low-cost rental spaces for artists. Supporters hope that listing 935 Broadway as a Place in Peril will encourage the owners to either repair and reuse their building or accept a reasonable sale offer from one of numerous interested buyers, returning the former Seiden’s Furs to its status as a viable resource in the Central Business District.