Post Date: 07/05/2019 11:36 AM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 5, 2019Call it a home run. The City received a grant to assist in rehabbing the former home of legendary Negro Leagues and Major League Baseball pitcher Leroy Satchel Paige, located at 2626 E. 28th St. in the Santa Fe Neighborhood.After a fire in 2018, a group of residents set out to honor Paige's local legacy by rebuilding his former home. In early 2019, the Kansas City Homesteading Authority purchased the home to protect and preserve the structure for future use. This grant of up to $150,000 from the National Trust for Historic Preservation will fund repair and stabilization of the structure. The improvements will enable the City to issue an RFP for the home’s redevelopment.“This is the result of a collaborative effort by city staff and community partners to ensure the long term viability of this important site and honor Satchel Paige’s legacy in Kansas City baseball history for generations to come,” City Manager Troy Schulte said.The multi-year effort was a collaboration between the City, Historic Kansas City, the Santa Fe Area Council, The National Trust for Historic Preservation, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Representative Emanuel Cleaver II and many others.Leroy Satchel Paige bought his home in 1967 and lived there until he died in 1982. Designed by C.M. Williams, this home is a majestic monument to the neighborhood’s strength and the legacy of an African-American baseball legend.For more information or media inquiries, please contact Beth Breitenstein , Public Information Officer for Planning, at 816-513-8829 or 816-945-2560.