Officials with Guadalupe Centers, Inc. are lining up inspections and applications with an eye to converting the 19-acre St Paul School of Theology from an historic Baptist seminary to an elementary school, summer program and possibly even a credit union.
Guadalupe Centers, Inc. CEO Cris Medina says their increasingly popular charter schools and other services don’t just serve Hispanics, but also Somalis, Sudanese and South East Asians. Many of those who take advantage of their services, he says, live on the east side of town.
When a deal fell through between St. Paul and a group known as Kansas City Coalition Against Sexual Exploitation (KC CASE) Medina says Guadalupe Centers jumped on the chance to buy the school.
"We have 90 days to do our due diligence," says Medina referring to environmental checks and other inspections. "We hope to close on the deal by the middle of January.”
Many in the surrounding Blue Valley Neighborhood worried the KC CASE clientele would increase crime at a time residents have been successful in revitalizing many blighted areas.
