A ‘sanctuary’ downtown
Around the time of Pitt State Homecoming in 2021, John and Dona Collar got a call about this cool new spot in Downtown Pittsburg.
“John’s brother Tim and his wife were staying in this new Airbnb downtown for homecoming weekend,” Dona said. “They called us to say we had to come check it out, it was just so cool.”
John and Dona, who met at Pitt State and now live in Kansas City, did indeed make the trip down to see this spot called The Hive. It was love at first sight.
“It happened to be for sale at the time,” Dona said. “We loved it from the minute we saw it, so John and I discussed it and decided to buy it.”
John, who grew up in Pittsburg and attended St. Mary’s Colgan schools, said he jumped at the chance to be part of the resurgence downtown.
“We come down often for Pitt State games and things like that,” he said, “and we just love everything that is happening downtown. It’s very exciting. I thought it would be so cool to be part of that.”
The Hive is a renovated, refurbished Airbnb on the second floor of the historic downtown building at 514 N. Broadway. Named for the old Bee Hive Cafe that at one time occupied the first floor of the building, The Hive features three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and an open kitchen and living room area overlooking Broadway.
“We just love everything that is happening downtown. It’s very exciting. I thought it would be so cool to be part of that.”
“It’s just such a charming spot with the exposed brick and hardwood floors,” she said. “It’s like something off of HGTV.”
The space is managed by The Collars’ daughter-in-law, Cassie Collar.
“Cassie handles all of the rentals and space issues,” John said. “She really does such a great job of managing the space for us.”
The Hive has so far hosted guests from across the country and even overseas.
“We’ve had people from Colorado and even someone from Ireland,” John said. “It’s fun to see what’s bringing people from all over to our little town of Pittsburg, Kansas.”
“It’s really in the perfect spot. You can walk to coffee shops, restaurants, shops.”
Dona said the reasons range from weddings and family reunions to graduations and sporting events.
“A big part of the appeal is the location,” she said. “It’s really in the perfect spot. You can walk to coffee shops, restaurants, shops.”
The Collars said much of the credit for The Hive’s success goes to Alissa Rogge, the previous owner who did the renovation work.
“Alissa really did such a great job of restoring this old building,” Dona said. “It’s amazing to see what these old buildings can really look like when some work is put into them.”
In January 2021, Rogge took the City of Pittsburg on a tour of the building during the renovation process.
To learn more or book a stay at The Hive, check out the Airbnb listing.
