KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The effort to restore one of Walt Disney’s original studios was hit with another setback.
A car slammed into the building located near E. 31st and Troost early Saturday morning, damaging the brick building.
A nonprofit called Thank You Walt Disney, Inc. shared the news on social media, including a picture of a black car sitting under rubble that fell from the building.
The former Laugh-O-Gram location was Walt Disney’s first business and animation studio. It’s also believed that he got the inspiration to create Mickey Mouse at that studio.
Groups have worked for years to save the Laugh-O-Gram building.
The Thank You Walt Disney group has working on a large renovation project. It hopes to stabilize the building and turn it into a welcome center with a flex studio and animation museum to honor Disney. It’s been a project that’s struggled to secure enough funding to complete the new vision.
Thank You Walt Disney says it will continue to work to rehab and renovate the building. Fundraising is underway online.
