Business owner fighting back after city seizes building through eminent domain

“Bulldozers at 63rd and Prospect are a sign of big progress for a long-embattled development. After years of cleaning up after a developer, Kansas City crews are digging to find and clean up any asbestos.

Sitting nearby along 63rd, Wayne Cooper’s vacuum store is lined with closing signs on the sidewalk. It isn’t the first time he has had to put them out.

“We were positive we were going to have to go,” he said.

In 2008, Wayne said a developer signed a $500,000 contract to buy his building and get the Citadel Plaza project off the ground.

“Never did happen,” Cooper said. “They never did pay out the contract.”

Years later, he got another offer from the city. This time, the offer was a much lower $92,500.”

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Shively, Lindsey. 41 Action News 23 January 2014.