What’s next for Country Club Plaza?

KANSAS CITY, Missouri – Now that the sale of the Country Club Plaza is official, many Kansas City residents are wondering what happens next.

In a press conference Monday, Ray W. Washburne, president of HP Village Management, and Stephen Summers, who will oversee leasing efforts, answered questions about their vision for the future of the plaza.

“I just want to say that this is an investment for our family. Everything we invest in is for the long term,” Washburne said. “We don’t just gloss over something and then sell it. And you can see from our ownership that things last for generations, and that’s exactly how we view County Club Plaza.”

HP Village Management is only the fourth owner of the Plaza.

Although the ownership group is based in Texas, Summers said his mother and grandparents grew up in the area around the Plaza, which is why it has a “special place in our hearts.”

According to Washburne, there are “many challenges” to be expected for the future, but HP Village’s focus is on “creating places that are open to all” while ensuring that the plaza fits closely into the surrounding neighborhoods.

Andrae Hannon/KSHB

Infrastructure

Washburne said more than $100 million would go toward modernizing basic infrastructure.

Because of the plaza’s age and size – 93,000 square feet spanning 15 city blocks – it was easy to uncover a variety of problems, Washburne said.

He noted that several retailers who were successful in the plaza eventually left due to dilapidated conditions, including sewer problems and leaks that were not addressed by previous management.

Washburne took inspiration for the plaza from Dallas’ Highland Park Village and said they plan to move from parallel parking to angle parking, break up streets, raise curbs and create more green spaces.

“When you walk down there now, it just feels like a lot of concrete,” he said. “So we want to design it so that pedestrians have a pleasant walking experience.”

Andrae Hannon/KSHB

A full landscape plan will be published in the fall.

From an aesthetic perspective, Washburne said the new owners plan to evaluate the buildings individually to achieve a uniform redesign of the storefronts.

Other priority agenda items include the redevelopment of parking garages, the construction of a boutique hotel, the creation of unique office space and the construction of an architecturally significant “end-of-street building”.

Washburne and Summers’ overall goal is to create a retail-centric shopping experience, retaining retail space on all ground floors of additional developments.

Timeline

Summers aims to incorporate local food and beverage vendors by the fall.

“Within a year, you’re going to see some pretty dramatic changes,” Washburne said.

The Highland Park Village project in Dallas was about a five-year project.

Washburne said negotiating leases takes time.

Security

Starting Monday, officers will patrol the sidewalks of the Plaza.

Washburne said there were many discussions about security before purchasing the Plaza, especially after news of shootings at the property in April.

Another measure to “keep an eye on the property,” according to Washburne, is the installation of cameras, probably 100 to 150.

Andrae Hannon/KSHB

Potential tenants

Priority will be given to the best local retailers, but Summers said partnerships with national or international retailers are not out of the question.

Summers said there could eventually be room for upscale brands. He said the Plaza is the largest market in the U.S. without a Louis Vuitton or Gucci store.

Because of HP Village’s good relationship with the brands, he said, they plan to target them even if they “don’t come today.”

In the meantime, Summers is turning his attention to contemporary high-end brands, which Washburne says tend to be sold in packages.

Washburne said HP Village has been offered several entertainment options that have yet to be announced, but there are no plans to reopen the movie theater as it does not fit the demographic they are trying to attract.

Other needs of the community are also addressed.

Washburne said they will bring in a small grocer to create a convenience store, joking that this is necessary because there is currently no place where you can just walk up and buy a Coke.

Additionally, Summers said he has heard Kansas City’s calls for Houston to return. While he can’t make any promises, he said, “That feedback has been taken very seriously.”

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