KSHB 41 reporter Fernanda Silva covers stories in the Northland. She has been covering the redevelopment and recent fires at Parade Park Homes extensively. She also focuses on issues surrounding immigration. Share your story idea with Fernanda.
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Demolition of the vacant Parade Park Homes complex has been pushed back to the end of January 2026, according to developers.
They say it's because they received nearly $9 million in public funding.
"Proceeding without clearance would result in the loss of critical funding," the developers said in a statement. You can read their full statement at the end of this story.
The Kansas City housing complex was originally scheduled for demolition in December 2025, but developers Twelfth Street Heritage and Flaherty & Collins say they are legally prohibited from beginning work.
They say they are monitoring the area, but the Kansas City, Missouri, Fire Department responded to five structure fires at the vacant property in December.
Developers say they’ve increased security patrols and are monitoring the area using drones and tower cameras.
In December, fences were added — but there are still places where people can enter the complex.
The city of Kansas City, Missouri, says it has conducted inspections and continues to monitor the area.
In October of 2025, Parade Park Homes neighbors felt like they were forced out to give space to a $300 million redevelopment project.
“It feels terrible," said Mary Louise Williams, who lived there for 45 years. "It feels like you're leaving part of your life behind.”
In early December, neighbors shared their concerns.
Terry Sharp, manager at Truman Road Auto, expressed concerns about future incidents, including more fires.
“I'm reasonably sure it's going to happen,” said Sharp.
“We saw smoke coming up and you know what's going through my mind is like, 'Oh, everything I own is about to be lost,"' said Tyler Kimball, owner of Monarch Glass Studio said last month.
The Kansas City Fire Department is also frustrated.
“We don't want to see anybody get hurt,” Michael Hopkins, Battalion Chief with the Kansas City, Missouri, Fire Department, said in an interview in December. “For this apartment complex, once they start that demolition process, that'll probably be the end of our run here at Parade Park.”
Read the statement sent to KSHB 41 by Jason Parson, with Parson + Associates, LLC. They were hired by Twelfth Street Heritage and Flaherty & Collins to assist with communication.
We want to acknowledge and take seriously the concern surrounding recent fires at the former Parade Park site. We understand why these incidents are alarming, and the safety of firefighters, first responders, and the surrounding community matters deeply to us.
As of October 2025, all residents have been fully relocated and no one is currently living on the property. On December 9, the project was awarded Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) and Home Investment Partnerships Program (HOME funds), which triggered mandatory Housing and Urban Development (HUD) review and clearance periods.
During this time, we are legally prohibited from beginning demolition or disturbing the site. Parade Park is a complex redevelopment supported by city, state, and federal funding, which carries strict regulatory requirements. Proceeding without clearance would result in the loss of critical funding.
At this time, the demolition process is expected to start at the end of January 2026, beginning with abatement. In the interim, the site continues to be closely monitored and the following measures have been put in place:
Increased patrols
Site monitoring by drone and tower cameras with real-time access to security personnel
Increased detection and response measures for on-site enforcement
We remain responsive and engaged with public safety officials, and share the urgency to see this site secured and demolished as quickly as legally possible. Our commitment is to move forward immediately once clearance is granted and to deliver the safe, high-quality housing this historic community deserves.
