Mayor weighs in on Robeson property. But is it fair?

By Kathy Feist and Sara Wiercinski

On September 18, Mayor Quinton Lucas dropped a bomb on his Facebook page concerning a south Kansas City property.

“For too many years, the site of the former Robeson Middle School (and former Jewish Community Center) has blighted the Holmes and Troost corridors and neighborhoods around them with unkempt weeds, crumbling structures, trash build up, vandalism, and graffiti.

A new owner purchased in 2018, but nothing has changed. Our patience has run out. Proud to introduce legislation today mandating ownership change to rehabilitate or raze the long vacant and blighted structure.

All of our neighborhoods deserve better. We’re committed to delivering.”

That day, the mayor passed an ordinance directing the City Manager to initiate a vacant property receivership in order to “remediating the blight at the [Paul Robeson] property.”

The former school at 8201 Holmes Rd. has been vacant since 2006. Attorney Sean Pickett, under the name Robeson Holding Co., LLC, purchased it in 2018 with the intention of developing the property into a recreation center and senior living facility. However, the pandemic and the ballooning county property taxes caused Pickett to lose interest and funding for the plans.

Pickett seemed to disappear as did any upkeep of the property.

Until this summer.

Pickett made the rounds announcing exciting news about a new funding partner as well as an interested tenant, KC Rugby. It breathed new life into the plans. Pickett paid off two years of delinquent property taxes and his senior living facility partners who sued for breach of contract.

Pickett told the Telegraph in August that with those two obstacles behind him, he was ready to start work on the property around the first week in September.

“It’s been a journey,” said Pickett. “But we are moving forward, undaunted.”

Pickett and his group of volunteers got to work earlier this month clearing the football field. They repaired, graded and seeded the lot to prepare it for future KC Rugby games.

Additionally weeds were pulled behind the school, on the Troost side, according to Pickett.

In an interview Wednesday with the Telegraph, Pickett reiterated, “Our plans are moving forward. The mayor didn’t know that.”

Pickett says though he and the mayor have briefly met they have not had any discussions regarding the property.

The Mayor’s Office also says they have met.

(The Telegraph reached out to Mayor Lucas, but he was not available for comment. These statements are attributed to the Mayor’s Office speaking on his behalf.)

“The mayor has met Mr. Pickett and shared his concerns,” reads the statement. “The mayor met with a group of interested individuals connected with Mr. Pickett on discussion about a rugby and sports facility at the former Robeson School.”

“After nearly a decade of Mr. Pickett’s ownership and unfulfilled promises since the 2017 purchase from KCPS, the time for private discussions has passed. The community was promised engagement and development that simply has not materialized. Mr. Pickett has been fully aware of the property’s substandard conditions throughout this period.”

At a Marlborough Community Coalition meeting Tuesday night, Darius Diamond, General Counsel to the Mayor, discussed the definition of receivership and his opinion on the best option (to have a new developer take over the property). But he was hazy on any details, relying instead on those in attendance for detailed information.

Among details to be concerned with for the city is a repurposing agreement with Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS). According to a July 31 interview, Jesse Lange, Manager of Planning and Real Estate for KCPS, told the Telegraph, “The buyer would have to continue with the proposed restrictions on what the property can be used for.”

The Special Warranty Deed and the Property Use Agreement with KCPS specify that the 20-acre Robeson Middle School property be redeveloped as a multi-use recreation center. (A Community Benefits Agreement that allows for free attendance to surrounding neighbors would not survive a sale.)

Pickett says he will fight the receivership ordinance. “It doesn’t qualify – because the property is not abandoned,” he said.

Pickett says prior to the mayor’s Facebook post, he had the water turned on for irrigation purposes.

Since the mayor’s post, he has met with the Fire Marshall to determine what he needs to do to be in compliance with the fire code.

Next week, Pickett says he has plans to clear the basketball court and its fencing. He has identified a demolition contractor to demolish the parts of the school that are unsalvageable.

Pickett’s funding partner has yet to come through with an investment, but Pickett is confident of their future involvement.

Twenty acres and a 151,800-square-foot building is a lot of care for one person to handle, which right now is what Pickett is trying to do.

A receivership, if instigated, offers two options. One, is for a person is assigned as an overseer (receiver) working with the property owner to ensure goals are being met. The other is to place the property in the hands of a new developer.

According to the city’s statement to the Telegraph, “The mayor’s office has already received inquiries from multiple parties who have expressed genuine interest in taking on this development opportunity through the receivership process. That said, the Mayor’s primary interest consistent with law and good public policy is addressing the urgent blighting conditions on the property with an entity financially capable of facilitating clean-up.“

The Paul Roberson receivership ordinance is due back before the full council at the end of this month.