The Country Club Plaza’s new owners release big plans for the KC staple

  The Country Club Plaza may soon become more pedestrian-friendly.

  This is just one of the many changes that HP Village Management, the group that owns the Plaza, outlined in a pitch made on Oct. 21 to city development leaders.  

  These changes include making the Plaza more walkable by closing the streets to vehicles, similar to how UMKC closed off 51st Street last year, as well as raising the occupancy rate. 

  The developers also say they want to maintain the Spanish-style architecture the Country Club Plaza has been known for since it opened in 1923. To maintain proportionality, they also plan to cap construction of new buildings to 200-275 feet. 

  UMKC senior and chemistry major Caleb Henze said that he is “thrilled” that the Plaza is going to keep its signature Spanish architecture look.

  HP Village purchased the Country Club Plaza in the summer of last year, and as of now, there is no official estimated time of completion for the renovation project. 

  Tyler Jones, a UMKC alumnus, shops at the Plaza frequently. He said he hopes the plaza becomes busier and more crowded. 

“The Plaza is home to so many cool stores like Johnny Was and Tommy Bahama, but it just feels like a ghost town sometimes, even on the weekends,” said Jones. “I really hope the updates change that.”

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