Dallas-based company completes Plaza purchase on Friday

KANSAS CITY, Missouri – The Kansas City Country Club Plaza District Council confirmed Tuesday that Dallas-based Highland Park Village Partners plans to complete its purchase of the plaza by Friday, June 28.

Plaza District Council Chair Kate Marshall confirmed the news in a phone call with KSHB 41’s Megan Abundis.

“We are very pleased to share the good news with our community that HP Village Partners will definitely close the Country Club Plaza on Friday,” Marshall said. “We had a good meeting with them yesterday and know they will be great partners who have only the best intentions for the Plaza.”

The announcement was also made in a newsletter on Tuesday afternoon.

“More than 65 Plaza District residents came (together) at the Made in KC Marketplace for a cup of coffee and great news,” the council said in the newsletter. “HP Village Partners will complete its purchase of the Country Club Plaza on Friday, June 28. They come with the happy intention of preserving, protecting and enhancing the beloved Country Club Plaza. They will not deviate from the architectural charm of the existing area as we know it, and in fact, it is their intention to look for opportunities to make additions that are completely consistent with the look and feel of some of the oldest buildings and towers on the Plaza.”

News of HP Village’s interest in purchasing the Plaza first emerged last October.

Kansas City, Missouri Mayor Quinton Lucas welcomed the sale and expressed excitement about what it could mean for the city and county.

Lucas met with HP Village in December to explore the opportunity and learn more about the company’s plans.

He also recently spoke to Elyse Schoenig of KSHB 41 and confirmed that a sale is imminent.

Lucas said he pushed for a focus on safety and a more pedestrian-friendly design in talks about the sale.

Marshall also said the Plaza District Council was pleased with the company’s plans to improve safety in the iconic neighborhood.

“The extra people on the street will bring more awareness and increase the safety factor,” Marshall told Abundis. “But the new owners are also very concerned about safety themselves and are working very closely with the KCPD and the city. They are working on possible safety approaches that we haven’t seen before on the Plaza.”

Marshall said there are many reasons to be optimistic that things will turn out for the better and people will feel safer and have more fun on the Plaza.

The KCMO district had been owned by Macerich and Taubman Centers since 2016, with Macerich as the majority owner.

In a recent update from the Plaza District Council, Marshall said the council is ready to work with the new owner to ensure a better future for the Plaza.

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