KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The Gates BBQ restaurant at 10th and State Avenue was damaged early Wednesday morning by fire.

Firefighters were called out at about midnight after employees reported smelling smoke.

Firefighters say the fire started in the smoke stack. They had to cut a hole in the roof to reach the fire, and got it under control after about an hour.

The restaurant will be closed for cleanup and repair and until the health department can check out the damage.

Damage is estimated at $100,000

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The University of Missouri Kansas City Athletic Director Tim Hall is leaving to take the AD position at Maryland-Baltimore County. Hall has been at UMKC since 2007.

Under his leadership, UMKC built a brand new soccer stadium, made the transition from the Summit League to the Western Athletic Conference, and most recently Hall hired new men’s basketball coach Kareem Richardson. The move to the east coast takes him closer to his extended family.

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. — A weekend fire at the boarded-up Medical Center of Independence has neighbors calling for the blighted building to be torn down.

Those who live near 23rd Street and 291 Highway are calling for the city to take action.

The hospital, known as MCI, has been closed for five years and in that time it’s quickly become a breeding ground for criminals.

Saturday night, firefighters rushed to the main hospital building. Flames were shooting out of the top floor windows.

Neighbors tell FOX 4 News there’s been vandalism, and a lot police calls here as copper and other metal has been stripped out of the building.

And they claim it hasn’t stopped here. Some say nearby homes also are becoming targets for thieves and vandals.

Homeowners say they’ve waited too long for redevelopment. That’s why those watching the fire wanted the building to burn to the ground.