Waldo Area Business Association Reveals Building Expansion

By Sara Wiercinski

At a May 8 open house, the Waldo Area Business Association (WABA) revealed their expanded office space with new areas for networking and conference room for official events and for rent to community members.

Community Engagement Coordinator Cenyeaa Williams gave tours of the new space.

Williams explained the association’s most-popular requests are places to host children’s birthday parties and pop-up style markets. “There are lots of Etsy creators in the neighborhoods around here who want to sell locally,” Williams said.

The new space offers state-of-art technology for zoom meetings and presentations, with tables for networking or small receptions.

The total space will accommodate up to 30 people and includes a separate street entrance. Executive Director Sean Anderson managed the decor – featuring historic photos and maps of Waldo.

Williams–fitting to her community engagement title–enthusiastically described what will become the “coffee corner,” a rotating sampling of beans from the many Waldo-area coffee shops.

WABA knocked down walls between its current office and 7224 Wornall to create the expansion. The space was formerly occupied by Quest Wireless, who moved in October to 7234 Wornall.

Cost to use the space is free for WABA members during the week, and $50 on the weekends. Community members may rent the space for a nominal fee, still to be determined.

On May 17, WABA will host an engagement meeting for Kansas City Public School parents.

WABA will celebrate 60 years in August and has more than 300 members. 

“Our role as an organization has shifted in response to the Community Improvement District,” said Anderson. “It feels good to be here in Waldo.”

The group will host a networking coffee at Second Best Coffee (328 W. 85th Street) on May 21. The June 7 Brews Tour is a rebranding of the much-loved Waldo Crawldo– now defining “brews” more broadly to include tea and coffee stops, along with beer.

Learn more at www.waldokc.org/business-association.