KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Property owners of an abandoned Kansas City Public Schools building have plans to move forward with demolition and construction on a building that's sat empty for nearly two decades.
KSHB 41 News reporter Megan Abundis reports the property owners said the first phase of redevelopment will begin in the summer.
The former Paul Robeson Middle School at East 82nd Street and Holmes Road, has been closed since 2004.
Since the building closed, grafftti, weeds, and vines have turned the former school building into an eyesore and security concern for people who live nearby.
Sarah Kinchelle, who lives near the building, regularly cleans up trash around the property.
"If I don't do it, I'm not sure who else is doing it around here," Kinchelle said.
When KSHB 41 News reporter Megan Abundis recently met with her, Kinchelle had already filled three large, black garbage bags with litter from the street and sidewalks around the school building.
"There's a lot of litter that goes on in front of the school. I'm here picking it up," Kinchelle said. “Cigar packs, cigarette boxes, empty bags, empty plastic bottles.”
She says the abandoned building has attracted more than just trash.
"Homeless people are coming in and it seems like it's somewhat become a homeless camp inside," Kinchelle said.
She said she’s really only known the site since it shut down.
“It came to be a school, and it was shut down really quick after it was built, and it’s sitting there abandoned most of my life,” she said.
As she models what it is to be a good neighbor, she wants the local property owners to do the same with their redevelopment.
“I have wished someone would do something with this area for over 20 years,” she said.
Sean Pickett, local attorney and part owner of the Robeson School site redevelopment, took control of the property in March of 2018.
Pickett acknowledged previous plans to transform the property into a community center by August of 2018 fell through when a partner left and funding wasn’t secured.
He also said Covid-19 pandemic lengthened that work, too.
"I haven't gone away and I'm not going away," Pickett said. "I made a promise that this is what it's going to be."
He says the design will have plenty for the community to enjoy and will be centered around youth sports.
Pickett said the new development plan will unfold over seven years and in five phases.
Construction is scheduled to start in the summer.
Pickett said crews will demolish the existing football field and transform that area into soccer fields. The soccer fields are scheduled to open next spring.
"Slowly let the project develop organically, into creating a community and let people commune in that first and then the residentials will come later," Pickett said.
The first round of funding for the fields and demolition totals $17 million.
"It will start slower than what we initially thought it would be, but the youth and families and parents will see that there's movement and that's the important part," Pickett said. “There is a large soccer community that’s interested in partnering in some capacity.”
When asked about why the project, specifically soccer fields, will work now, Pickett said there's money in youth sports and there’s money in the families that bring their kids to youth sports. It’s a better time now for that.
Security remains a challenge at the site. During the visit by KSHB 41 reporter Megan Abundis, people were seen inside the building, throwing items from the second floor.
"We've boarded it up over and over and lots of money to try to keep it secure and we will continue to do that," Pickett said.
Pickett also said they have welded doors shut, removed trash and trailers and other items people may have illegally dumped.
Pickett also said permits are in the works and he wants to tell the community they are moving forward.
“They want to see us break ground and want to see us as developers that will stay true to the development and we are,” he said.
To see more about the previous plans from 2017, click here.
