Sauer Castle in KCK getting multi-million dollar makeover

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Some mysteries surrounding a Wyandotte County landmark could become clearer now.

Last May, a new owner bought Sauer Castle, the Civil War-era castle on Shawnee Road. Its roots date back to 1873, and it's sat in disrepair for years.

The new owner, Mike Heitmann, was expected to address the community at a Thursday night meeting and unveil some of his plans for the castle's future. FOX4 reached out directly to Heitmann via his office at Garney Construction on Thursday, but no one called back.

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Millions of dollars worth of restoration work is underway at Sauer Castle. Previous owner Carl Lopp faces thousands of dollars in citations for violating codes set by the Unified Government of Wyandotte County. Neighbors complained the dilapidated structure had become an eyesore.

"This is going to be a long process," Diane Euston, a local historian, said on Thursday.

Euston has actively tracked the ongoing restoration at Sauer Caste. In recent months, modern windows have been installed, and the castle tower has been restored, years after it was hit by lightning. On Thursday, a crew from Pishny Restoration was on hand, waterproofing the castle's foundation.

Students in Euston's video production classes at Grandview High School are producing a YouTube series called Saving Sauer Castle . It chronicles the restoration of the castle, and thus far, it's been the only peek inside the castle's interior.

"The Heitmann family wants to make sure the castle is part of the community, so I think it's going to end up some kind of community space. They're still tossing around ideas of what that could look like," Euston said on Thursday.

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Lopp sold the castle last year. He is said to be residing full-time in New York City.