Kansas City residents protest demolition of historic homes [Video]

Neighbors in Midtown are protesting Kansas City Life Insurance Co.’s demolition of nearly two dozen homes, which they say is destroying the neighborhood.”I’m convinced they don’t really care, and I don’t think they have the neighborhood’s best interest at heart at all,” said Edward Larson, a resident.Larson says Kansas City Life Insurance Co. plans to tear down 23 homes.No one knows what the company is planning — not even the City Council.”A very small number of large corporations own a very high number of our vacant properties,” said Crispin Rea, council member for the 4th District at large.Residents say the insurance company rented these properties for decades before beginning demolition.Some tenants were given 30 days’ notice.”It was still rough because she even explained it to them: her mother was dying. She was in hospice, and she had to go daily to help take care of her also,” said Ron Lopez, …