Millions of dollars to mow weeds forever: Mayor says no, no, no
By Joe Lambe
Rocks, poison, goats, whatever, Mayor Sly James is making it clear he wants options to cut the cost of mowing.
Just mowing the vacant and abandoned city land bank properties cost $1.5 million a year. Add much more for all the tall ...
Renovated drug house is family’s Christmas gift
City problems of blighted abandoned houses and homelessness rage on, but sometimes there are small victories.
On Thursday, Latoya Caldwell and her four children moved into a renovated former drug house.
Jackson County officials surprised her ...
City Council hears of fight to reclaim abandoned houses
By Joe Lambe
There are about 6,000 vacant and neglected properties in the city, officials said Thursday, and city programs save only about 150 of them a year.
And more homes will make the abandoned list because the empty houses prompt others ...
New public-private program saves 1903 Hyde Park house
This home in Hyde Park is the first renovated through the city’s new receivership program
By Joe Lambe
The smell of urethane lingered like perfume Friday at a long vacant 110-year-old Hyde Park house, now rescued from ruin and up for sale.
Cheerleaders ...
“Fake landlords” rent land bank houses to unsuspecting tenants
Many Kansas City Land Bank properties have houses on them, and inconveniently for everyone, people live in some.
There are even reports of fake “landlords” renting them out, said David Park, Land Bank director and deputy director of Neighborhood ...
Land bank offers several Midtown properties for sale
As the land bank officially opened, one of the properties is has listed for sale is this one in the Volker neighborhood.
The city’s new land bank, with its potential for finding responsible owners for blighted and abandoned properties, is ...
Land Bank accepting offers for property
The Land Bank is getting up and running, with new powers to deal with vacant lots and abandoned properties.
Kansas City’s new Land Bank is ready to sell property – maybe not exactly primo stuff – but they’ve got deals.
David Park, ...
City to test demolition sites for lead
This month the city will start testing air and soil at demolition sites for lead and evaluate whether to take measures to reduce dust.
If it has to require water treatments or other action, that could increase the cost of demolishing more than ...
City demolition budget increases
Dangerous buildings have long cropped up faster than the city can knock them down, but officials now fight with a targeted attack and doubled funding.
Demolition money in the new budget goes to the area around the new east patrol station and ...
Land bank prepares to deal with abandoned properties
Kansas City’s new land bank board held its first meeting yesterday. The group elected officers, adopted bylaws, and handled other details around getting the new Land Bank started. Members from left to right include: Vince Gauthier, Diane Burnette, ...
Who’s talking