Freight House
Encyclopedia
The Freight House is a historic railroad building just north of Union Station
in the Crossroads Arts District
of Kansas City, Missouri
. The renovated Freight House is now home to three award-winning restaurants: Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue
, Grunauer (German and Austrian food) and Lidia's. The building is located immediately east of the Stuart Hall Building
, and it is connected via pedestrian bridge to Union Station. The pedestrian bridge was added in 2003, and its main component is an 1892 railroad span that had been sitting unused on the river bluffs until it was moved to its new location.
The Freight House was originally constructed in 1887. Over the years, the structure fell into severe disrepair until it was purchased by Sterling Capital in 1995. The 500 feet (152.4 m) long and 40 feet (12.2 m) wide Freight House would probably have been demolished, but the group of investors envisioned a restaurant, retail, and office center with a hotel and parking garage. Those plans were soon scaled back to focus on developing three restaurants on the property.
The first restaurant to open at the Freight House was Lidia’s Kansas City. Lidia's is an Italian restaurant that was opened by celebrity chef Lidia Bastianich
in October 1998.
Union Station (Kansas City, Missouri)
Union Station Kansas City in Kansas City, Missouri, is one of many union stations in the United States.-History:Around the turn of the 20th century, the Kansas City Terminal Railway, a company controlled by the *12 railroads serving Kansas City, decided that a new location was needed for the train...
in the Crossroads Arts District
Crossroads Arts District
The Crossroads is a historic neighborhood near Downtown Kansas City, Missouri. It is centered at approximately 19th Street and Baltimore Avenue, directly south of the downtown loop and north of Crown Center. It is the city's main art gallery district and center for the visual arts...
of Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. The renovated Freight House is now home to three award-winning restaurants: Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue
Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue
Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue is a small chain of barbecue restaurants, catering, private dining facilities, and nationwide shipper of barbecue located in the metropolitan area of Kansas City, Missouri.- Early history :...
, Grunauer (German and Austrian food) and Lidia's. The building is located immediately east of the Stuart Hall Building
Stuart Hall Building
The Stuart Hall Building is located at 2121 Central Street in the Crossroads Arts District neighborhood of Kansas City, Missouri. The former commercial building is known as the Freight House Lofts or Stuart Hall Lofts....
, and it is connected via pedestrian bridge to Union Station. The pedestrian bridge was added in 2003, and its main component is an 1892 railroad span that had been sitting unused on the river bluffs until it was moved to its new location.
The Freight House was originally constructed in 1887. Over the years, the structure fell into severe disrepair until it was purchased by Sterling Capital in 1995. The 500 feet (152.4 m) long and 40 feet (12.2 m) wide Freight House would probably have been demolished, but the group of investors envisioned a restaurant, retail, and office center with a hotel and parking garage. Those plans were soon scaled back to focus on developing three restaurants on the property.
The first restaurant to open at the Freight House was Lidia’s Kansas City. Lidia's is an Italian restaurant that was opened by celebrity chef Lidia Bastianich
Lidia Bastianich
Lidia Matticchio Bastianich is an American chef, author, and restaurateur....
in October 1998.