More than a year after the Country Club Plaza was sold to new owners, concrete details about the district’s future are becoming clearer.
Gillon Property Group outlined its vision of a taller and more walkable district in recent plans submitted to Kansas City. Dustin Bullard, vice president of partnerships and place for the Plaza, says the goal is to create a district that’s vibrant inside stores and on the sidewalks.
“We want to really focus and elevate that streetscape experience,” Bullard told KCUR’s Up To Date.
That could mean wider sidewalks, calmer traffic, bike lanes, more trees. Restaurants will be encouraged to have streetside dining.
“We want, as you're walking out of the store or walking to a store, that you feel like you are in a very special place,” Bullard said.
Central to the plan is decreasing the number of vacancies on the Plaza. Bullard says he wants to see 90% occupancy within two years. In July, The Kansas City Star reported a 70% occupancy rate.
The group is also exploring development concepts for the vacant lot that was previously set to become a Nordstrom. That lot was recently approved for a taller structure – up to 275 feet.
The changes will take place over several years. The district must also undergo updates to the sewer system, which is expected to be a public-private investment.
- Dustin Bullard, Vice President of Partnerships and Place, Gillon Property Group
