Once a hub for neighborhood kids, the vacant Robindee on Bannister Road, Kansas City, was burned into disrepair a few years ago and burned Sunday night.
Local residents are recalling as officials work hard to determine what caused the fire.
Kansas City Fire Department spokesman Michael Hopkins said the commercial strip mall located in the 8300 block of E. Bannister broke out in the fire on the evening of June 1.
Kansas City firefighters were on the scene at 9:30 p.m., working to put out the fire. Hopkins said the fire was successfully put out without any injuries.
Robandee shopping center caused fire damage.
“Nearby staple food”
Local resident Billy Grant said the mall has been a fixture in Kansas City since the 1970s. She said the center was a gathering place for her and other nearby children.
“The shopping mall has always been a staple in the neighborhood,” Grant said.
As a teenager, Grant worked in a stripper supermarket in the past. She added that the mall has been disrepaired.
“This has been breaking down,” she said.
Robandee Shopping Center is in disrepair.
She said residents in Grant and other areas have heard a lot of speculation about the cause of the fire. She suspected that this might be caused by homeless people or vandals, but she didn't know it was. She said the vacant property had been damaged before.
The KCFD is still investigating the cause of the fire, and the commission issued a dangerous construction order.
