Demolition Begins at Parade Park and Robeson School

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Mayor Quinton Lucas today announced that demolition is underway at Parade Park Homes and the former Paul Robeson Middle School and Jewish Community Center, marking a key step forward in two major neighborhood revitalization projects. These efforts represent the City's continued commitment to removing blight, enhancing public safety, and creating new housing opportunities in historic Kansas City neighborhoods.
"Today marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of another," said Mayor Lucas. "At Parade Park, we're honoring a legacy while building for the future. At Robeson, we're reclaiming a site that has been sitting abandoned and decayed for nearly two decades. Both represent our commitment to ensuring every neighborhood in Kansas City can move forward with dignity and opportunity."

At Parade Park in the 18th and Vine District, crews are tearing down old apartments to make room for a $300 million rebuilding project that will create more than 1,100 affordable homes for seniors, families, and working people. Mayor Lucas sponsored funding in March 2025, with demolition delayed by federal permit requirements. The neighborhood, one of the first Black-owned housing cooperatives in America, will be rebuilt with modern apartments that former residents can move back into.

The Paul Robeson Middle School site at 8201 Holmes Road, has been abandoned since 2006. After the property owner failed to fulfill development commitments made seven years ago when purchasing the site from Kansas City Public Schools in 2017, Mayor Lucas introduced and passed a proposal directing the city to pursue receivership proceedings to encourage action from the developer. Following the completion of historic preservation review in January 2026, demolition is now underway to finally remove the blighted structure. The Robeson demolition marks the end of years of neglect and the beginning of new opportunities for development that will strengthen the surrounding community.

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