Watch: Implosion of Scary Abandoned Kansas City Warehouse

One of Kansas City's biggest eyesores bit the dust just after 7:00 AM CDT Sunday, May 19, 2024, as the Weld Wheel Building, also known as the Ridenour-Baker Grocery Company Building, was imploded.

KMBC.com reports the 114-year-old building has been vacant since 2003 and was demolished to make way for a redevelopment plan with housing, offices, and more in the West Bottoms part of Kansas City.

The developer, Somera Road secured public financing for their $526.7 million project in the west bottoms. The television station reports that 13 historic buildings will be converted as part of the project. They also cite the City of Kansas City's official X (formerly Twitter) account as saying the project will create 1,600 new housing units and office, retail, and urban park space in the West Bottoms.

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Since Weld Wheels vacated the land the building has been empty. Before Weld Wheels moved into that warehouse in 1978, it was the Kansas City Terminal Warehouse; before that, the Ridenour-Baker Grocery Company had been located on the land.

The building was the first wholesale commercial grocery building west of the Mississippi River to be placed near the railroad, which would be copied by all their Kansas City competitors. You can learn more about the building's history here.

Here are some Youtube videos of Sunday Morning's implosion of the old factory:

Unfortunately, time has not been kind to the Weld Wheel Building. After Weld Wheel left and the building sat vacant, urban explorers, taggers, and others explored the once slightly hard-to-get-to-building in the West Bottoms. I have some pictures pulled from Youtube videos by Urban Explorer Lee Paco Industries, that explored the abandoned site. Keep scrolling to see these photos.

WARNING: Under no circumstances should you enter this property. By doing so you risk bodily harm and/or prosecution for trespassing on private property.