Sunlight streams through walls of glass block, casting a soft glow across pale tan brick and sleek black tile accents. Rounded corners and strong horizontal lines give the facade a streamlined, almost aerodynamic presence. Along the rear, a long, utilitarian loading dock reveals the building’s modest, industrial roots. Just below the roofline, a continuous band of glass block glows softly, blurring the line between solid brick and filtered light.
Located off Manhattan’s historic Yuma Street, between Fort Riley Boulevard and Long’s Park, The Press stands as a bridge between eras - part historical relic, part modern reinvention. Once home to Viking Manufacturing and later Ag Press, this striking two-story, 30,000-square-foot brick-and-glass industrial landmark has evolved from factory floor and printing press into a dynamic, multi-purpose event venue.
Erected in 1947 for Viking Manufacturing, the plant marked Manhattan’s first major post-war industrial development. Designed in the Art Deco–influenced Art Moderne architecture style of those times, the building emphasized streamlined features using glass block, rounded corners, and long, minimalist horizontal lines that conveyed motion and modernity.
When Ag Press purchased the building in 1971, it became a different kind of engine. This time, it was a hub of commercial printing: trade publications, textbooks, and the home of Grass and Grain magazine for many decades. Today, the building once again hums with production, but this time, the main output isn’t metal or paper, but experiences.
In an era when demolition often feels inevitable, Derek and Cory Richards chose preservation. Both Manhattan natives, they purchased the four-acre property in April 2022, when the land appraised higher than the building itself. Instead of giving the building the wrecking ball, they pursued a historic listing and committed to reuse over replacement. Saving the building mattered as much as bringing it back to life, but almost immediately, they envisioned a place where people could gather for concerts, weddings, worship, sports, service, and the simple act of showing up. The Richards’ vision is unapologetically broad.
What’s happening today inside The Press is less about nostalgia, and more about momentum. The building’s next chapter is being written in real time through gatherings, performances, celebrations, and shared use. In saving the building, space was created not just for events, but for connection.
Here, we explore all of the different areas of The Press:
The Press Venue: Where Community Fill Historic Walls
The heart of the complex is The Press Venue itself, a 6,000-square-foot hall designed for flexibility rather than a single type of event. With a 400-person occupancy, full-service catering kitchen, and a bar offering liquor, canned and draft beer, the space comfortably scales from afternoon birthday parties to black-tie weddings and packed concerts. Refurbished concrete floors, nine-foot doors salvaged from the former Commerce Bank building, and custom-designed bathrooms give the venue character without nostalgia overload. The cozy bridal suites are intentionally personal; furnishings in the men’s suite once belonged to Cory Richards’ grandmother, Warrenetta.
The venue is operated by Bri Mulberry and Nolan Palmer, who oversee bookings, logistics, and day-to-day execution, while the Richards focus on stewardship of the building. The hall can host any type of gathering.
Relevant Church MHK is also taking shape inside the building, led by pastor Dave Romero of Brothers Coffee, further extending the venue’s role beyond celebration. Free Wi-Fi is provided by WTC and generous on-site parking make The Press as practical as it is atmospheric.
Stewarding Music, Arts, And Community Well-Being
The Art Press Fund serves as the nonprofit cultural arm of The Press, ensuring the building produces more than private events. Through sponsorships and partnerships, the organization supports concerts, performances, and arts programming designed to be accessible, inclusive, and community centered. At its core is the belief that music and creativity are civic goods meant to be shared, not gated.
The Art Press Fund is also the steward of Arts in the Park, Manhattan’s summer music series held in City Park. On site, the Fund helps activate outdoor concerts and cultural events that invite people in without expectation. Support from community advocates and sponsors, including Eric and Kristal Kleiner, helps sustain that work.
While culture anchors one side of the building’s impact, service anchors another. The Community Care Chest, located on the east loading dock, is operated by the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation, as a food and resource distribution hub providing groceries, books, and household essentials. Its presence reinforces the idea that a community building can hold multiple missions at once.
Together, but separately, the Art Press Fund and Community Care Chest ensure The Press contributes not only to Manhattan’s cultural life, but to its well-being.
Event Production Turning Ideas Into Seamless Experiences
Wing Productions provides the operational backbone that allows events at The Press to feel polished without feeling overproduced. Led by Nolan Palmer, Wing offers DJs, photo booths, videography, and technical coordination for weddings, concerts, conferences, and private events. The team works closely with venue operators Bri Mulberry and Palmer himself, ensuring programming aligns with the space’s capabilities. Wing helps translate vision into execution, freeing hosts to focus on guests rather than logistics. In a building built for adaptability, Wing Productions keeps the experience running smoothly. They make celebrations effortless, no matter the size or style of the event on site.
Training Athletes Inside A Reimagined Industrial Space
The Foundation Academy occupies 7,000 square feet within the complex, transforming former industrial space into state-of-the-art indoor batting cages for youth baseball and softball. More than two-dozen teams train here year-round, giving athletes a weather-proof place to practice, compete, and hone their ball skills. Thanks to owner Vern Henricks, the consistent presence of sports underscores the building’s unusual versatility, revealing The Press’ larger purpose.
At a gateway stretch of Fort Riley Boulevard, The Press stands as a visible commitment to preservation over replacement. What once shipped machinery and printed magazines now hosts people. The Press is not a monument; it is a working building again. Its floors are filled with movement and purpose, carrying forward a legacy of production in a new form. With it, the building proves its best days aren’t behind it - they’re happening right now, down on Yuma Street.
Learn more & reserve the space thepressvenuemhk.com