Kansas City’s quintessential landmark, the Country Club Plaza, is more than just a shopping and dining destination. It is a communal and cultural hub for the city.
The Country Club Plaza attracts 15 million+ visitors every year.
J.C. Nichols, developer of the Country Club Plaza, conceived the retail district around accommodating automobiles, an entirely new approach to shopping that made the Plaza the first of its kind. The Spanish architecture intentionally mimicked the iconic style of Seville, Spain, with ornate towers, red clay tile roofs, decorative ceramic and wrought iron details, warmly textured stucco façades and plentiful statues, fountains and gathering spots.
The Plaza was not only the first shopping center designed around an architectural style and to serve customers arriving by car, but it was also the first with a single management entity that controlled both the property and the businesses operating within it. It opened in 1923 and is the longest-operating planned shopping center in the world.
Over the course of 100 years, the Plaza’s history has been marked by periods of growth and change. And, like all historic districts, it must adapt to ever-evolving markets as well as customer expectations and interests. Issues that have plagued the district in recent years have led the residents of Kansas City to coalesce around the goal of restoring the Plaza to its full, former glory as an upscale, family-friendly, safe, and welcoming community.
Country Club Plaza Redevelopment Updates
The Dallas-based investment company, Gillon Property Group, acquired the Plaza in 2024 after the former owners defaulted on a nearly $300 million debt. Initial redevelopment efforts were somewhat “behind-the-scenes,” focusing on improving the parking garages, infrastructure, pedestrian areas, degraded architectural features and security. In the fall of 2025, Gillon released its Master Plan Development, a foundational guide for more specific development plans in the future, and, in May 2026, ordinances advancing the project were passed by the Kansas City City Council.
PC: Kansas City Star – This rendering shows the proposed office and restaurant space in the area previously occupied by Nordstrom.
Building Height Increases
A new rezoning ordinance now allows buildings on certain blocks to exceed the previous height restrictions. Buildings on four specific blocks can now be as high as 178 feet, or 18 stories. Adding upwards of 1,100 new residential units vertically to the Plaza sparked concern among current residents about the taller structures changing the look and character of the district and dwarfing the smaller one- and two-story historic buildings. Nevertheless, city leaders approved the increased building heights, believing that the Plaza can only benefit from growing “up” because options for growing “out” are highly limited.
Architectural Preservation
Many of the uncertainties around the new building heights were assuaged by the developers’ commitment to preserving the beloved Spanish-style look of the Plaza. The intricate façades of the buildings will be preserved, even if a large portion of any building is subsequently replaced with new construction.
Sidewalk Privatization
The Council also voted to assign control of the Plaza’s sidewalks to Gillon. They will remain public, but developers will have responsibility for maintenance and repairs of the sidewalks, as well as lighting, landscaping, seating, and other design features. In addition, Gillon will also have more say over the management of pedestrian space for outdoor seating and events. Some in the community expressed concerns that the privatization of the sidewalks will limit what activities can take place there, but city leaders believe it will improve security.
Updates and new changes are being announced almost daily as this massive undertaking – expected to cost around $1.5 billion! – continues to take form, and residents of the area and the city as a whole are justifiably hopeful that the final result will honor the Plaza’s timeless character and the sense of pride and community that has defined this Kansas City jewel for over 100 years.
