This Friday, January 28, marks the date in 1978 when the Coates House Hotel caught fire in 5-degree weather, resulting in the deaths of 20 people and a total loss of the southern end of the historic building. It remains the worst fire, in terms of lives lost, in Kansas City history. As a 12-year-old, I recall seeing the damaged building rise behind tall, chain-link fences erected along Broadway and Tenth streets to keep people away from the damaged and dangerous structure. Little did I know then, as I rode in the car with my parents, that I would become a resident of the Coates House just a little more than a decade later.
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In The Loop: Jan 23, 2022
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This Friday, January 28, marks the date in 1978 when the Coates House Hotel caught fire in 5-degree weather, resulting in the deaths of 20 people and a total loss of the southern end of the historic building. It remains the worst fire, in terms of lives lost, in Kansas City history. As a 12-year-old, I recall seeing the damaged building rise behind tall, chain-link fences erected along Broadway and Tenth streets to keep people away from the damaged and dangerous structure. Little did I know then, as I rode in the car with my parents, that I would become a resident of the Coates House just a little more than a decade later.