Kansas City could force former Waldo school under new control, redevelopment

Kansas City could force an owner to transfer control of a former middle school in Waldo to another developer as the building sits vacant and awaiting long-promised redevelopment.

It’s a move the city doesn’t use often, but depending on how it plays out, could possibly inform officials’ approach to other struggling buildings across the city.

The City Council’s finance committee voted to forward a plan that would place the former Paul Robeson Middle School at 8201 Holmes Road, under the receivership process, which is a legal maneuver under city code aimed at bringing blighted properties into the hands of someone who could fix them.

The Paul Robeson school has sat empty since 2006. Kansas City Public Schools sold the property to a development group in 2018, and plans were announced to convert the site into a recreation center alongside new housing. Those plans have yet to come to fruition.

The property is currently owned by Robeson Holding Co LLC.

Darius Diamond, general counsel for Mayor Quinton Lucas, told the committee on Tuesday that the property is “in desperate need of a new developer.” Photos show that the property is in poor condition: graffiti, broken windows, a cracked parking lot, a trashed auditorium.

The City Council is expected to have a final vote on starting the receivership process on Thursday. There would be further steps to determine who could take control of the property and how that transfer would play out, which could involve going to court.

Discussions could continue with the current owner, and the city would involve the neighborhood about what residents want to see on the site.

Sean Pickett, developer and primary investor on the project, told the committee that he shares the desire to move the project forward, and he shares the concern about blight.

He said the team is on track to do what they’ve said they’re going to do in recent communication with the Martin City Telegraph, which reported that the COVID-19 pandemic threw off the project’s momentum and financing. A broader vision for redevelopment remains in place, according to the Telegraph.

Pickett said work has included repairing and seeding the track for community use, clearing brush and removing debris from the tennis court to help make it usable. A demolition contract is in place to demolish the building, but developers are still considering preserving the pool, gymnasium and theater.

The demolition could also be subject to a city historic review. The school was built in the 1950s.

Pickett told the committee that the current development team can end the blight faster than if the building went through a litigated receivership process. He asked the committee to hold off on starting the process and allow time to show that he can take action.

The Telegraph reported that Pickett paid off overdue property taxes earlier this year, avoiding a foreclosure sale, and Pickett told the committee that there is a pending appeal over the property’s higher assessment value from 2023.

Crispin Rea, council member for the Fourth District at-large, said he is interested in how the process plays out in light of other struggling buildings around the city, such as the downtown former Federal Reserve building.

This story was originally published September 30, 2025 at 5:03 PM.