March 21, 2020

Mallory Herrmann
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Construction of the Cityscape DTLS Apartments project in downtown Lee’s Summit is visibly underway, with demolition of the former Lee’s Summit United Methodist Church campus beginning this month.

While the original sanctuary, constructed at Douglas and Second Streets in 1902, is being preserved, the rest of the building has been torn down to prepare for construction. The sanctuary will be converted into a leasing office for the 273-unit multi-family development.

While the religious imagery will be removed, the building will retain much of its stained-glass windows and other historic artifacts. In a video tour released last week by the Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council, Vice President of Cityscape Ryan Adams says that includes light fixtures that are more than 100 years old, which were found in the basement.

In addition to being used as the leasing office, the sanctuary’s rotunda will be turned into a community amenity center, including coworking space and a coffee bar.

“The big challenge is combining old artifacts and putting them in a new space that’s inviting,” Adams says in the video.

The project, now called Elevate 114, is projected to open in June 2021.

To view the video in its entirety, visit the Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council’s profile on Facebook or Twitter.