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The Mulberry Room offers historic space for private events
T he next time you need to host a wedding reception for 350 people, or perhaps a business meeting for just a few co-workers, look no farther than Kansas City’s West Bot- toms neighborhood, where a newly refur- bished space, The Mulberry Room, is ready to take on your special event. The Mulberry Room is located in the historic Oliver Building at 1321 W. 13th St. between Hickory and Mulberry Streets, from which it takes its name, according to Anna Cole, co- owner along with Steve Mertensmeyer. “The Mulberry Room is the premier event venue in The Historic West Bottoms,” Cole said. “We feature 9,000 sq. ft. of original and lovingly restored hardwood floors, exposed brick walls and gorgeous wood beam ceil- ings. Bright nine-foot-tall bay windows fill our venue with natural light that falls upon one of two grand staircases that guide you to our private mezzanine suite.” The space dates to the late 19th century like many of the other buildings in the West Bottoms, that are characterized by red brick exteriors, hardwood floors, solid wooden sup- ports stopping at eight-stories tall because it was impossible to build higher using those materials. Today the Mulberry Room, which is on the second floor, boasts new restrooms, a fully equipped caterers’ kitchen, updated heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, an outdoor area and off-street parking. “Although The Oliver Bldg. was con- structed in 1895,” Cole said, “our event venue also includes a full media suite for client use,
allowing a full-range of audio-visual presentations. “We even booked a video game conference as a result,” she said. People won’t find such a large space at many other Kansas City venues. “Folks are attracted to The Mulberry Room because of our large space and because it still retains a certain industrial elegance that just doesn’t exist in other parts of town,” she said. In addition to the media center the Mulberry room boasts a completely up to date caterers’ kitchen, which ensures the freshest kitchen- to-plate service in the West Bottoms. Restoration of the floors and other archi- tectural elements has been meticulous with special attention paid to specially design- ing the railing for the grand staircase that connects the second floor to the mezzanine. “The balusters are made from red oak and they are stunning!” she enthused. Cole noted that the building originally housed a multi-story manufacturing op- eration for the John Deere Co., which made implements that could be attached to its farm tractors and other vehicles. The wooden beams are two-feet square and made from old growth Douglas fir. An unusual spiral metal slide goes from one floor to another, apparently to move heavy items downstairs very quickly. It makes a unique conversation piece, as well as the rail- road tracks that enter the building where rail cars were once loaded and unloaded. “Most of our customers are intrigued by the history of the area and the individual
buildings. The history is a motivating factor in their renting this space,” Cole said, noting that the neighboring build- ings also housed agricultural manufacturing operations from the late 19th- to the mid 20th century. Cole understands the demands of modern wedding planning and seeks to provide the brides and their families more than they expect, she said. “We love our brides!” “It took us a year and a half of work to get this room together and I think we can handle almost any get-together no matter how large or no matter how small, from weddings, reunions, business conferences and fashion shows. “We provide clients and their guests a full-service and professional experience in a distinctive space,” Cole said, with events booked through this coming fall with many wedding receptions, business conferences, smaller get-togethers and even a fashion show on the calendar. ^ THE MULBERRY ROOM 1321 W. 13th St 816-309-5336 Find the Mulberry Room on Facebook or check out its website, www.mulberryroomkc.com
34 VINTAGEKC SUMMER 2017
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