KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- After two decades of decay, vandalism, and unpaid taxes, Kansas City leaders are stepping in to take control of the former Paul Robeson Middle School.

Mayor Quinton Lucas is expected to outline the plan at City Hall on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.

Lucas said buildings like Robeson drag neighborhoods down.

“People shouldn't have to live near squalor,” Lucas said. "There are squatters coming in and out. You see trash, you see lots of other issues. That needs to change immediately. That's why you see the city taking strong action."

On the corner of East 82nd Street and Holmes Road, the old Paul Robeson Middle School is hard to miss. The once-bustling school now sits buried under brush, tagged with graffiti, and scarred by years of vandalism.

The property is owned by the Robe

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