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Meet Hasani Burton of Kemet Media Building in South Dallas

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Hasani Burton.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Hasani. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Over the last 13 years, I served on the board for a Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO), served for the City of Dallas on the Landmark Commission, been a member of Preservation Dallas and have explored the connection of homelessness and poverty on the Mayor’s TaskForce on Poverty. I also participated in economic development initiatives on the South Dallas Fair Park Opportunity Fund, along with a group called Working In Neighborhoods Strategically (WINS).

In 2015, after being hit by an intoxicated driver and having Life as I knew it completely changed, I decided to use my background and experience to build eco-friendly, affordable housing. This led to the founding of Bennu Properties LLC. After several attempts to acquire Landbank properties below I-30 and being outbid at auction by large Developers, the obstacles to building housing was taken as a sign that I should refocus my attention. This is when I saw an old beer and wine corner store at 2734 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd intersecting with Malcolm X for sale.

Considering my second company, Kemet Inspired Media LLC, I dreamt of a place that would be anchored in the community to provide a legacy of resources for talented individuals to create their own online content, while also serving as a place to teach entrepreneurial skills to the local youth and inform the public about important community, business and governmental issues. This place would be called the Kemet Media Building.

Diving right into this dream, I used a big bulk of savings and purchased the property. What I didn’t know at the time is that the property had several Code Violations on it from when it was operating mostly to sell beer, wine and lottery tickets to the community and those violations contributed to it’s foreclosure. Not being deterred, I hired a local General Contractor, Jeff Ross, to address the outside Code violations while greater plans to redevelop the property into what I envisioned could be achieved. Mr. Ross did an excellent job at not only addressing the outside Code Violations and securing the property but also making the curb a lot more appealing.

Later that year, at the urging of several community leaders and supported by family and friends, I ran a campaign to be a Representative in the US Congress that would take a lot of time and energy. This campaign took my plans into 2020 and then the pandemic hit hard, further slowing down the development of the building. On the bright side, 2020 would also see the birth of my son, Olodumare “Olo” Burton. He is my heart, my joy, my reason to continue working towards creating a legacy of progress in South Dallas.

After taking a couple of months to acclimate to being a father, I am now back to developing the Kemet Media Building. It is my firm belief that in every obstacle, there is an opportunity, and the time away has allowed me to refine my plans for the building. I’m currently looking for development partners and future tenants for the Kemet Media Building. The ideal tenant would be a small business with a couple of years of operation under their belt, community-oriented services preferred, that could benefit from having a high-tech office space where they could broadcast their business services directly from their office. Of course, the “new normal” caused by the pandemic will be taken into consideration in designing a safe and secure space for small business owners to be productive.

The business model of the Kemet Media Building combines media, entrepreneurship and community services in a unique way that is unlike anything else in not only South Dallas but all of North Texas. I’m extremely excited about the potential for progress this building will bring.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It hasn’t remotely been a smooth road. Lol. I originally wanted to do eco-friendly, affordable housing through Bennu Properties LLC. However, every time I went to auction to acquire what I thought would be inexpensive Landbank lots in the South Dallas area, some larger, more experienced Developers would outbid me. It made building eco-friendly, affordable, high-quality housing below I-30 cost-prohibitive for a small, new Developer like myself.

I had to pay cash for the property at 2734 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. intersecting with Malcolm X because while I did get approved for a loan to purchase and renovate the property, the stipulations of the loan did not allow much room for creativity. For my concept to grow and develop organically into a unique concept that fits the needs of the community and the times we are in instead of just another business completely focused on profit, I needed the space and time to make plans and change my mind without financial obligation. Paying cash for the property, especially during these volatile times, has put a financial strain on me and my growing family. However, it was absolutely the best decision to be made due to it allowing me the freedom to let my plans develop organically.

Even after purchasing the property, I have been burdened with the Code Violations of two owners before me. These owners mostly sold beer, wine and lottery tickets and allowed the property to fall in complete disrepair before it going into foreclosure. I was not made aware that I would be held responsible for these Code Violations, outside AND inside, even though the property is currently secured and not operating. There was pressure in the beginning from the City Community Prosecutor’s Office to address the Code Violations within the property even though it is not currently doing business. The financial burden to do so would be a complete waste considering the whole property is being redeveloped and the inside Code Violations will be addressed when this 100-year-old building is made new. People can see how bad the inside is at TheKemetRising.com. This is how I purchased the property, with the expectation that I would be able to develop it at my own pace.

Fortunately, after spending several thousands of dollars to spruce up the outside of the building and address the outside violations, I think City of Dallas officials and leadership recognize that I am a small business owner rooted in the community I am doing business in and my plans, and the benefits of those plans to the community and the City, are much bigger than Code Violations that were inherited. My extensive history and experience of service to the City and the community show that I can be trusted to see these plans through. Even if it takes longer than a big-time, outside Developer would take to complete such plans.

The property has also been tagged by Graffiti and recently, been targeted for a lot of Illegal Dumping. I think these have been some of the most discouraging things to happen. I already have the odds against me going through so much to get to this point. Now that I have a small piece of property to do something positive with, those who have no care for what it took to get there or the benefits of what is planned want to make it that much harder. This is Life though. I have always been one to overcome obstacles and challenges and turn them into opportunities. The Kemet Media Building is no exception.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Kemet Media Building – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
The goal of the Kemet Media Building being developed by Bennu Properties LLC is to be a space where the small businesses of community and creatives “go to thrive.” We are in a time where platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Facebook allow publishing of content all over the world in only seconds. The Kemet Media building will take this into consideration for every single business that is housed in the building and tap into a new era of advertising.

For example, one non-profit I have considered leasing space to would like to offer entrepreneurship support to the community. Not only will this business have office space right where it’s needed the most, but the state-of-the-art facility, taking into account the “new normal” of the pandemic while thinking ahead, will allow them to publish their own content as part of their brand and broadcast their efforts all over the world! It’s a very exciting concept. I am currently accepting potential tenants and development partners. Inquiries can be sent to BennuPropertiesLLC@gmail.com.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
The Kemet Media Building will serve as a prototype for a franchise that I am planning to build in every major city across the country and maybe, someday the world. As a Futurist, I am always looking towards solutions for problems that the majority of society isn’t even aware that we have yet. Kemet Media will be my legacy of bringing those solutions into reality.

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