Country Club Plaza

After two shootings at stores in the Plaza, some retailers have changed their business hours out of concerns for employee safety. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas says the city is talking with the Plaza's owners about increasing law enforcement presence in the area.

Under the incentive deal, the developer would avoid paying about $28.9 million in taxes over the next two decades.

Kansas City has been trying to make Brush Creek somewhere people gather for almost 100 years. Now, the city is giving it another shot with a new master plan based on community feedback in the hopes that focusing on amenities instead of flood control will finally make the creek a destination.

A State Tax Commission hearing officer ruled the county overvalued 20 properties on the Plaza in 2019 by almost $113 million. If the ruling is upheld on appeal, taxing districts in Jackson County might have to refund millions of dollars. The shopping district is also planning to appeal its 2023 reassessment.

A main criticism of Kansas City's various tax incentive programs is that developers are able to shop around agencies for a deal. That appeared to be the case when a Waldo housing development applied for tax incentives from the Port Authority after being rejected for incentives by the Ride KC Development Corp.

The Jackson County Legislature passed a resolution to declare June 10 as “Dragon Boat Festival Day." The annual event at Country Club Plaza began in 2005, and is the only one in the world that takes place on a creek.

Kansas City is known as the "City of Fountains," and it's earned the name — with more than any city other than Rome. From opulent displays to more simple spouts, these water features beautify our environment and connect us to the Kansas City of the past.

The Plaza Area Council is bringing together community stakeholders to revitalize Kansas City's historic shopping district and surrounding neighborhoods, and make it more "inclusive and diverse" for the future.

Many Kansas Citians have expressed frustration at the "public restroom deserts" across the metro. In Westport, the only public toilet to be found is in the library, while pedestrians at Country Club Plaza have to rely on nearby restaurants.

Workers and customers were surprised Monday when the company announced the store would close an hour and a half ahead of schedule — permanently. Employees say they were given just 15 minutes notice.

Midtown will soon be home to one of two streetcar extensions, adding to demand for development. But the residents who could benefit most from accessible public transit are the same ones most likely to be priced out of the area.

The vote to unionize the store on the Country Club Plaza was a tie, which counts as a loss, according to National Labor Relations Board rules. But pro-union workers say three votes were contested and could count in their favor.