Former Folger’s Factory Gets a Second Chance

In 2012, O’Reilly Development Co. began brewing a distinctive apartment complex in the former Kansas City Folger’s coffee factory.

When the coffee roaster closed the factory five years ago, O’Reilly Development Co. found the 115-year-old industrial warehouse filled with all its roasting, packing, and storage equipment, including conveyor belts that spanned multiple levels and roasting vessels that were a few stories tall. After auctioning off a number of pieces, the team had an enormous amount of steel that needed to be dismantled and shipped out.

To create what is now the courtyard, O’Reilly had to demolish a coffee bean and grain elevator between the two Swofford and Boss buildings. A crew dropped a 13,000-pound steel blade, which they created themselves, onto the tower to take it down little by little while keeping debris on the ground and out of the air.

By tearing down this silo, the developer created an amenity space in the center of the property, connecting both buildings with a courtyard and pool deck with lounge spaces, grills, fire pits, and a pool and hot tub.

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The modern apartment hasn’t forgotten its history, as the team left remnants of the coffee factory throughout the amenity spaces and units. After repairing and refurbishing the full exterior masonry of the factory, designers from local interior design firm Lisa Schmitz Interior Design, restored the building’s original wood floors, now in the Swofford building units, and left ductwork and salvaged steel beams exposed in the Boss building for an industrial aesthetic.

In addition to the pool and courtyard area, the development features a community kitchen with cooking classes and lounge space that opens up to the pool through large sliding glass doors. Also available are a 24-hour fitness center with weekly group classes, a yoga studio, free dog-walking services, and events for residents.

And, of course, a coffee bar.