The Plaza is Kansas City’s jewel. What should new owners do to restore its appeal? | Opinion
The Country Club Plaza was officially bought by HP Village Partners, a Dallas-based group, last week. The company plans to renovate storefronts and bring in more local businesses, among other changes.
The company said the developments will begin in the next couple of months. The Plaza is a landmark in Kansas City’s geography and is the background of many fond memories for Kansas Citians. For me, the Plaza meant tennis tournaments, Christmas Eve and birthday dinners.
I grew up driving to the Plaza frequently. The Plaza Tennis Center was and still is home to the tennis tournaments that I attended almost every weekend. The shaded seating area by the courts is where my high school team and I would hang out before matches and where we would find each other at U.S. Tennis Association tournaments during the off-season. The trees in this section were an oasis from the sun beating down on the courts next to us, and there were always the same families and tournament directors chatting together.
It was at these tournaments, on the Plaza, that I fell in love with Kansas City.
Living in Leawood, I rarely got the chance to explore north of my suburb for anything other than sports and the occasional drive. So whenever my team had matches at the Plaza and I could walk through it, trying to find food between matches, I felt fortunate.
But since my senior year of high school, crime has become more prevalent — something the new owners want to reform — and even back then, we were told to avoid the Plaza at night.
Because I lived in Leawood, the increase in crime in the area was lost on me when I was a teenager. But as I learned and spent more time there, I realized there was more to the Plaza than what I experienced and it had its own complicated history like the rest of Kansas City.
In my experience, the Plaza was consistently an enjoyable experience, making me excited for my next chance to return.
And it wasn’t just with the tennis team. I went with friends and family whenever we had something to celebrate. Buca di Beppo was the birthday spot with my friends. I can still see the family style alfredo pasta in the massive serving plate that shocked us when the waiter set it on our table. And the after-dinner walks to Cold Stone Creamery are now unforgettable memories.
For the past few years, my family and I have kept the tradition of seeing the Kansas City Repertory Theater production of “A Christmas Carol” every Christmas Eve. Afterward, we went for dinner on the Plaza and walked around to see the signature holiday lights on the buildings — a common Plaza memory for many people. I still can’t think of anything more “holiday” than seeing the lights and decorations in the snow.
I haven’t gone for a dinner on the Plaza outside of Christmas Eve for a couple years, but I hope to revisit those memories whenever I get the chance. And now that the new owners promise revitalization and the introduction of local businesses in the empty storefronts, I’m excited to see the recreation of the Plaza as a more accessible and iconic feature of Kansas City.
We’re sure our readers have their own stories about the Country Club Plaza and memories there. So we’re asking for your stories and experiences. Go to the form below to share your thoughts: What do you love about it? What don’t you like, what changes are needed? We’ll collect some of your stories and share them in this space. Share your thoughts and help Kansas City realize the importance of our Plaza and its future.
