Baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson is stepping into a new role—as a partner and cultural ambassador for the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum Hotel development in Kansas City. The project, located near the historic 18th and Vine District, will include an expanded 30,000-square-foot museum, a 132-room boutique hotel, residential housing, and the full restoration of the historic Paseo YMCA—the birthplace of the Negro National League.
“This isn’t just a development deal,” said Michael Collins, founder of Grayson Capital, the company behind the project. “This is an opportunity to bring economic vitality to an area that deserves it.”
For Jackson, who began his MLB career in Kansas City in 1967 with the Athletics, the effort is personal. His father, Martinez Jackson, played in the Negro Leagues for the Newark Eagles. “I’m interested in what it was, but I’m way more interested in what it can be for our community,” he said.
Standing inside the current Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Jackson reflected on being denied hotel access during segregation and how that experience shaped him. “To come back here and be a part of this—it’s a good memory, a good feel.”
Museum president Bob Kendrick emphasized the broader impact. “When we lost the Negro Leagues, we lost a spark—a catalyst for Black commerce in urban communities. This project is about reclaiming that legacy.”
Jackson will help promote the project’s cultural mission and support small business growth throughout 18th and Vine. As Kansas City undergoes a cultural and sports revival, Jackson sees this as the right moment to invest in meaningful change.
“You’ve got the Royals relocating, the Museum expanding,” he said. “I just want to be part of helping this community grow.”
Construction will begin once final design plans are approved.