Plaza move-ins (ongoing)

Discuss items in the urban core outside of Downtown as described above. Everything in the core including the east side (18th & Vine area), Northeast, Plaza, Westport, Brookside, Valentine, Waldo, 39th street, & the entire midtown area.
trailerkid
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Plaza move-ins (ongoing)

Post by trailerkid »

I too was a bit miffed that the new stuff they built across from Gap turned out to be a Casul Corner. I was expecting Crate and Barrel, Tiffany or something KC didn't have. But the stores that came with Casual Corner (Carolee and Vittadini) are actually owned by Casual Corner. Both of these stores are pretty selective, only major shopping destinations. Casual Corner just leased almost the entire space and threw all their concepts in one. I think the leasing decision is O.K., but it wouldn't have been O.k. had the new store been Casual Corner/Petite only. I guess it's a lot similar to what Gap did with Banana Republic across the street. I'll admit that this isn't the greatest leasing concept to negotiate with big chains that bring multiple stores into one giant stip. We want something new and original.
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clarification on Casual Corner

Post by KCPowercat »

Yeah that Carolee and Vittadini seem more exclusive but Casual Corner?? Pretty mallish.

I actually like what Gap/Bananna Republic did....very cool with the multilevels...at least they didn't bring Old Navy with them (you know they wanted to)
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Kansas City store by movie theatre is only a TEMPORARY store

Post by KCPowercat »

Don't know where I heard this but the KC Star is just putting up that store for the holiday's....it will be taken down after that for a more permanent tenant.

So there is still hope for more of an entertainment based tenant to move in....
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Kansas City store by movie theatre is only a TEMPORARY store

Post by KCgridlock »

That's not even a Kansas City store, but rather a Kansas City "Star" store. They sell there books and stuff there.
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Kansas City store by movie theatre is only a TEMPORARY store

Post by trailerkid »

I thought that might be the case. Hopefully the Plaza won't use this leasing technique too much. I know it's better than a vacant space, but these "temporary stores" sometimes have leases that look more permanent as they will stay in the location up to a year. They just use them to make money while they look for a more suitable replacement.
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New tenants, please???

Post by trailerkid »

It's been ages since the Plaza announced any new tenants. I bet California Pizza Kitchen is pretty much a done deal, but what about other stuff? Things might slow down a little bit in building new stuff because the properties are so valuable for the holidays...can't have any storefronts not in use during shopping season.
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New tenants, please???

Post by KCPowercat »

yeah after the new year I bet we'll see some more.

The block I'll be most interested in is the building that hold the theatre. Sun/Ski is out and left a big whole and the corner to the east of the theatre has been vacant for some time...that's a pretty busy corner, why hasn't something moved in there?
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Bed, Bath, & Beyond? What the HELL is Highwoods doing?

Post by KCPowercat »

In today's Star there is rumors that Bed, Bath, & Beyond is interested in the old Sun & Ski sport site where the KC Store is temporarily at now.

WHAT IN THE HELL? I seriously hope this is a joke.....

Highwood's is starting to act like the royals...completely incompetent.
Last edited by KCPowercat on Fri Jan 10, 2003 2:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Bed, Bath, & Beyond? What the HELL is Highwoods doing?

Post by KCgridlock »

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!!!!

WHY DON'T THEY JUST RENAME THE PLAZA TO TOWN CENTER PLAZA OR PLAZA CROSSING OR PLAZA COMMONS OR PLAZA WOODS OR ANY OTHER GENERIC SUBURBAN NAME!
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Bed, Bath, & Beyond? What the HELL is Highwoods doing?

Post by KCPowercat »

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascit ... 912150.htm
Looking elsewhere

Bed, Bath & Beyond has turned down a space in Ward Parkway Center but is said to be interested in the former Sun & Ski Sports space at 500 Nichols Road on the Country Club Plaza.

Bed, Bath & Beyond often picks centers where customers can park in front of the store, so the Plaza location seems a rather odd choice. At that location, customers could be lugging large shopping bags to parking spaces blocks away.

The store also doesn't fit the Plaza's new, more upscale image.

The Plaza, however, is sorely in need of a midprice store selling home accessories. And the store would fill one of the few empty spaces on the Plaza.

The former Fireside space at 430 Ward Parkway has been available since summer 2000. Longtime Plaza tenant Laura Ashley, at 308 W. 47th St., is leaving Jan. 25.

Meanwhile, Victor Fontana still plans to open a restaurant in the former Annie's Santa Fe space at 100 Ward Parkway for Frankie's on the Plaza, according to Gayle Terry, marketing director for Highwoods Properties Inc.
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Bed, Bath, & Beyond? What the HELL is Highwoods doing?

Post by KCMatt »

doesnt suprise me, the whole area has become more suburban/urban in the last decade. Not only the loss of local businesses but the addition of pre-fab-faux architecture that fits more with town center than the plaza.
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Bed, Bath, & Beyond? What the HELL is Highwoods doing?

Post by KCPowercat »

this would be a new low for the Plaza...a store that is usually big box coming in? Come on Plaza, people aren't going to drive from Omaha and further to shop at B,B, & B.

KCMatt...what do you mean when you say it's become more suburban? More chains? I think they've done a very good job with keeping the architecture....the new highrise Valencia Place was very well done.......they are adding more chains and it's a necessary evil in these times but at least add upper crust retailers, not something that I can see in every city over 100k people.....more Prada, Cole Haan, Polo, etc....

the article states how the Plaza doesn't have a midlevel home furnishings store...no sh!t? It's our PREMIER SHOPPING DISTRICT, it doesn't have a low tier clothing store like the Thrift Store either, are they looking to add that?

I hope this is just interest from the store and Highwoods will pass...just because a store is interested (as stated in the article) doesn't mean Highwoods will accept them....Hard Rock as been interested in the Plaza in the past but JC Nichols passed on them....now I bet if H.R. came back to Highwoods, they would snatch them up....

I'm still holding out hope for something high end or at least unique to the city/midwest.
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Bed, Bath, & Beyond? What the HELL is Highwoods doing?

Post by KCgridlock »

Don't forget guys that even though the plaza has gone with national chains, that it has really improved over the past ten years. I mean it's much bigger and more dense than ever. Even though the plaza was still our gem, it was nothing like it is today and more is coming.

I also think the area is doing well with the new stuff. It's never going to have the real historic feel to it because it is new, but the new garages and other buildings have been done nicely. Valencia Place is awesome, it's hard to beleive that used to be a surface parking lot.

Having said that, I don't trust Highwoods, but the plaza is one area of the city that seems to take care of itself. It would just be a shame to wast such a high profile location on BB&B.

As more and more people move into "Rivercrownplaza", we do need more of this type of retail, even the most city minded people still shop at suburban big boxes. Just put it in an area were it would disturb the urban fabric less. Like around Midtown Marketplace.
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Bed, Bath, & Beyond? What the HELL is Highwoods doing?

Post by QueSi2Opie »

I agree, Midtown Marketplace would be a good spot for BB&B...not the Plaza!
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Bed, Bath, & Beyond? What the HELL is Highwoods doing?

Post by missingkc »

My first response to the B, B and B announcement was disgust, too. Then I got to remembering what the plaza used to be like - before saks, etc. It was always nice, and had some really expensive stores, but also served a neighborhood shopping center function. Filling stations, Sears, Sears automotive service where court of the Penguins is (service bays and all). Meiners was just a corner grocery, not the upscale thing it is today. And where Saks is? A drugstore and bowling alley with the neatest lounge. Fun, but upscale? No. So, I'm still not excited about the B, B and B, but maybe it's not so very far from the Plaza's historic role in the city retail landscape.
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Bed, Bath, & Beyond? What the HELL is Highwoods doing?

Post by trailerkid »

Guys, just be thankful they aren't putting in an Office Depot or Petsmart...LOL!!!
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Bed, Bath, & Beyond? What the HELL is Highwoods doing?

Post by KCPowercat »

shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
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Bed, Bath, & Beyond? What the HELL is Highwoods doing?

Post by QueSi2Opie »

Someone told me the other day that Town Center Plaza was tryin' to lure Sak's Fifth Avenue to the former Jacobson's site. They said it would be a relocation to a market that promises to spend more money in their store. A move like this would be sickening. Hope it's jus' a rumor...
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Bed, Bath, & Beyond? What the HELL is Highwoods doing?

Post by missingkc »

I was in Saks around Christmas. First of all, there's nothing there anymore but women's things - clothing, shoes, perfume, jewelry and such. Second of all, there was so little in there that I wondered if they were selling the stock and getting ready to close the store. Looked like it. I realize that with high dollar goods you don't have to cram the store full, but it was really kind of scary. Felt like a place in decline.
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Bed, Bath, & Beyond? What the HELL is Highwoods doing?

Post by QueSi2Opie »

missingkc wrote:I was in Saks around Christmas. First of all, there's nothing there anymore but women's things - clothing, shoes, perfume, jewelry and such. Second of all, there was so little in there that I wondered if they were selling the stock and getting ready to close the store. Looked like it. I realize that with high dollar goods you don't have to cram the store full, but it was really kind of scary. Felt like a place in decline.
FAO Schwartz is in financial trouble as well. It's stores like these that seperate KC from smaller cities such as Omaha, Oklahoma City and Wichita in terms of shopping.
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