The yellow bucket of a heavy construction excavator crashed down onto the roof of the vacant home at Parade Park, yanking it into a heap of split plaster and lumber. Then, opening its maw, it clenched what remained of a standing wall between its teeth, crushing it into debris.
So began the demolition on Tuesday of Parade Park Homes, a historic housing co-op of some 510 units in the 18th and Vine Jazz District which — when it opened in 1962 — was extolled as a model of homeownership in Kansas City’s Black community.
Some 64 years later, the development is officially coming down, following years of decay, neglect and abandonment. In the year since the property has been vacant, and fenced off, 27 fires have gutted or scorched empty units, located between Truman Road and 18th Street, Woodland and Brooklyn avenues.
Demolition is expected to take approximately 60 to 75 days…