Demolition begins for building at longtime vacant apartments in KCK
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Wishes are granted for homeowners in one Wyandotte County neighborhood.
One building at the abandoned Rosedale Ridge Apartments was demolished Wednesday morning. Four other buildings remain since they don’t meet established criteria for demolition set by the Unified Government of Wyandotte County.
The $120,000 bill for demolition will be passed on to the property owner.
Crime and illegal fires have been common at that location, according to the Rosedale Neighborhood Association. The buildings have been vacant for at least eight years.
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In October 2022, firefighters were called there three times in a two day stretch. The building that was demolished on Wednesday caught fire twice in one day. An investigation showed a fire set by homeless people caused that incident.
“This has been a hazard and an eyesore,” Erin Stryka, who works with the neighborhood association, said.
Stryka said 13,000 people call that area their home. Neighbors have complained to her for years about crime that rises from those empty apartments.
“I think neighbors around here will tell you they’ve experienced more break-ins. We had one neighbor whose insurance went up because she experienced so many break-ins in such a short period,” Stryka said.
Compliance officers with the Unified Government of Wyandotte County visit there often, assessing $7,500 every month for code violations. Those citations aren’t being paid, according to Patrick Holton, a property maintenance compliance officer. Holton said the out-of-town owner isn’t cooperative.
“It’s extremely frustrating to know we can have companies from out of town maintain derelict buildings such as this, making the quality of life in a beautiful neighborhood like Rosedale that much poorer when the people here deserve much better,” Holton said.
This may not be the last step for these apartments. Holton said over the last two years, the apartment owners owe $160,000 in back taxes and assessments related to these apartments. If those go unpaid, this property could be included in a tax sale in mid 2026.
