Member Spotlight: The Fire House Event Hall

It was once home to the only fire station to serve Midtown Kansas City. Now, the two-story brick structure in Hyde Park is often filled with live music, gourmet food, and people laughing and dancing while celebrating life’s big moments. Our latest Member Spotlight shines on the Fire House Event Hall.

Sharon and John Hoffman, along with their kids Lynn and Lance Carlton, opened the space this fall after fully restoring the building. Located at 4518 Troost, it once housed Fire Station No. 31, built in 1931. That fire station served as the main respondent to the area for more than 40 years until it closed in 1979. After sitting mostly unused for another 40 years, the Hoffmans recognized the historic importance of the building and the importance of the location. “We believe in Troost as an important corridor from 20th Street to 63rd,” said Sharon Hoffman. “It’s so close to Downtown, Westport, the Nelson, the Kemper, the Art Institute, and the Plaza. We value the neighborhoods along Troost and want to bring back its earlier vitality.”

With a capacity of 150 people, the Fire House is in a perfect position to do just that. It can host weddings, birthday parties, and smaller corporate gatherings. One of the first things people notice when entering is the attention to detail at keeping original features front and center. The Hoffmans have kept much of the original building, including the palladium stone front, the three-story hose tower with five hoses still hanging, the original interior walls, photos of the old fire station, an early hose cart, and more. Even if every single item in the building isn’t original, there’s a definite sense of the past within the space: an antique chandelier hangs over the hand-carved bar.

Since opening a few months ago, the largest events the Fire House hosted include a surprise party for 100 and a breakfast gathering for 150. Rentals include use of the first floor Grand Hall entire space, including the courtyard and four second-story rooms that are perfect for bride’s and groom’s rooms for weddings. The Hoffmans see the Fire House as being more than an event space, however. Their vision is to bring people together in the heart of the community, to build the economic and cultural vitality of the Troost corridor and surrounding neighborhoods. They say the Fire House is both part of a proud tradition and a new era, connecting Kansas City’s rich past with its wide-open future.

“This isn’t just a venue, it’s an experience,” said Hoffman. “It's the nostalgia, romance and history of a beautiful old building that serves this important area.”