Uptown Theater

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The Uptown Theater is a historic theater located in Kansas City, Missouri. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 as the Uptown Building and Theatre.
Following the closure of the Uptown Theater in 1989, the property was transferred to the Land Trust of Jackson County. The Land Trust was a governmental corporation established by state law to sell properties to satisfy unpaid taxes. At that time, Larry Sells was president of the Land Trust, and he spent a few years trying unsuccessfully to sell the vacant theater to developers.

In 1994, Larry Sells resigned from the Land Trust and purchased the Uptown on his own with plans to restore the theater as well as the entire commercial corridor of Broadway between 38th Street and Armour Boulevard. Sells set up a corporation under the name UGA, LLC to complete the purchase for $7,500. Following the acquisition of the Uptown, a $15 million renovation of the theater was completed. The original splendor was restored in the details and colors of Eberson’s original design

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