Kansas City Life Insurance Co. has spent more than 60 years acquiring properties in the Valentine neighborhood, but its lack of progress redeveloping them has raised the ire of neighbors.

It has been years since the company bought some of the buildings, and CEO Walter “Web” Bixby said the company does not recall the original plans for the land. The buildings have sat and deteriorated, which costs the Kansas City Life about half-a-million dollars a year in taxes, lawn control, rodent control and other basic property maintenance costs.

In September, the company announced it would raze about two dozen unoccupied homes between 33rd and 35th streets. Kansas City temporarily put the demolition on hold so it can study the historic value of the properties.

Bixby has outlined some rough plans for the future of the land. Meanwhile, the neighborhood continues to fight to save the existing buildings.

About a year after Bixby became CEO in April 2022, he decided it was time to do something about the sitting properties. He hired an engineer to assess their condition, who determined some could have "catastrophic failures," Bixby said.

“We became very concerned about that,” Bixby said. “These were buildings that could not pass inspection, so we couldn’t use them as rental properties, and rehabilitating them as rental property was economically unviable.”

The teardowns sparked concern from the Valentine Neighborhood Association, which sent a letter to Kansas City Life asking it not to demolish anything until discussing the plans with the neighbors. The neighborhood association said Kansas City Life replied that it had no plans to share, and it was proceeding with demolition.

The demolition plan curtailed the neighborhood's effort to get a historic designation, which it had been working on for some time. It angered neighbors, leading them to organize protests in front of Kansas City Life, holding signs such as: “Honk if you hate the demo.”

The situation has led to bad feelings on both sides, but both wish for a resolution. Better communication is necessary, the neighborhood association said.

"Things will continue as they have for years," said Chris Jordan, development chair for the Valentine Neighborhood Association. "They let the properties deteriorate and then tear them down, mentioning that they have a plan in mind but not showing any progress. The hope is that we can work together on a plan for what could happen in our neighborhood. We need them to work with us so it’s not speculation. We would welcome them to come meet with our neighborhood association.”

Kansas City Life was founded in 1895 and has been led by a member of the private and media-shy Bixby family since 1939.

“I’ve been coming into this building since well before I could walk,” Bixby said. “We’d come in every year for my grandfather’s birthday, and we all got our pictures taken. The office I’m in was my father’s office, and this space has special emotional content for me. I remember going to the Uptown Theater to see Mary Poppins as a child, so I’ve been coming to this neighborhood my entire life. Kansas City is in the name of our company, and we’re very much tied to not only this neighborhood, but the entire city. We do a lot to contribute to the community, either directly through the company or philanthropically through our family foundation.”

Bixby said he aims for the Valentine properties to have a positive effect on the neighborhood. But they also need to generate positive income for Kansas City Life, since Bixby holds responsibility to a board, partners and employees.

He vowed the properties would not become commercial, office or warehouse buildings.

“My vision is very much residential for this whole area. There are some houses that are in that footprint that are privately owned, and we’re not looking for any condemnation. That’s not the game we’re into. We’ve got a lot of bare land that I sure would like to do something with.”

What will the buildings become?

Bixby knows the neighborhood wants single-family homes, but he’s looking for more density. He said a mix of duplexes, townhomes and apartment buildings is most likely, all with architecture that fits the neighborhood.

Development would be done in phases, and Bixby wants to start near the corner of Valentine Road and Southwest Trafficway. There are two dilapidated six-plex apartment buildings in the area that he needs a permit to raze.

His plans were sent to the city’s historic preservation office, and it put a 45-day hold on demolition to study the condition and historic value.

New residential buildings in that area could be a catalyst for the other phases to the north, Bixby said.

“What I’m trying to do is take this land and try to make it revenue positive, with renewable revenue streams,” Bixby said. “I don’t want to just build it and sell it. As we look at each individual parcel, there could be some exceptions to that. But for the most part, we’re looking to develop it. Will we take a partner? It’s too soon to tell, but I don’t want to give you the impression that we’ve talked to anybody.”

Bixby shared a few conceptual drawings. But the company doesn’t have a timeline or detailed plans for the project. One hurdle is the price of construction materials. If tariffs push costs too high, Kansas City Life might want to wait a few years.

That uncertainly is what rankles neighbors. Without immediate progress, they see no reason why Kansas City Life cannot pause demolition and collaborate with them.

Jordan said the Valentine Neighborhood Association’s main desire is to be a part of the conversation. The group can discuss a variety of options with Kansas City Life. The neighborhood thinks it has new ideas to bring to the table, especially since the buildings are historic.

“If there are properties worth saving, it would be nice to see those invested in so they don't deteriorate further,” Jordan said. “Continuing to fight each other is not in anyone’s best interest. Working together by meeting and developing a plan for the area that everybody can agree on and work together on for the betterment of the neighborhood is the goal for us and what we want to convey. We’re disappointed in how this has progressed to the point where there has been neglect of the property and now demolitions, but we still think it would be good to move forward together.”