Kansas City Kicking 'WeCode' To The Curb Amid Pricey Real Estate Deal

For all we talk about the so-called "digital divide" when it comes to catering to developers, local politicos quickly forget about the desperate need for online access that can typically be solved by a 200 dollar Chromebook.

Nevertheless, here's a captivating behind the scenes look at a local organization that's soon to be displaced among the constant shuffle of local buildings . . . 

Should the council vote yes on the measure, WeCode KC will be forced to relocate in August. The city reserves the right to list and market the building before then and must notify the organization within 90 days if it is to seek early termination of the lease, officials noted during the meeting . . .

“I don’t understand what the urgency to sell the building is. That’s what I’m trying to get from my colleagues. Why is there urgency to sell it? We are well within our rights as council people to say we don’t want to sell the building. We want to allow [WeCode KC] to be there for three years.”

Because WeCode KC has maintained and improved the space, displacing the program from the building under the guise of the previously passed ordinance wouldn’t make sense, Council Lady Melissa Robinson argued.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

She's bringing tech to urban core teens; why KCMO says Tammy Buckner needs to pay 'fair market value' or get out

One of KC's leading Black women in tech leased a vacant city building for $1 and made $20K+ in improvements for her workforce development program - now the city wants to sell it, kicking WeCode KC to the curb A local nonprofit is asking for community support as the KCMO city council makes a move that could push its youth-focused STEM program out of a city-owned building.