Plaza move-ins (ongoing)

[chaglang]

If you think of the Plaza as one giant store, I agree that sorting is not to Highwood's benefit. Department stores routinely mix cheap and expensive products because people will either buy an expensive item and throw in an adjacent cheap one, or go to buy a cheap item and talk themselves into soemthing more expensive. The same would be true of stores: people shopping at H&M may wander next door to Banana Republic, or vice versa. But I don't think it's impossible for Highwoods to sort the Plaza into high end and low end areas, over the course of several years.

Newbury St. in Boston is an interesting example of this: the park end of the street is anchored by Burberry, and the Mass Ave end of the street is where the skater kids hang out in front of the Army/Navy store. The street is like 8 blocks long. And all this sorting seems to have happened organically, as there's no property manager in charge of the whole street.

[trailerkid]

I'm not making this stuff up. Go to any higher-end mall like South Coast Plaza, San Francisco Centre or Forum Shops in Vegas and you'll see it. The higher end stuff clusters in one area and the boutiques will sit empty before they turn them over to Potbelly Sandwiches or Soft Surroundings. They have tenanting plans for what goes on what floor and in what area. Stuff like the massive Forever 21 and what you see happening all along Nichols Road (the Plaza's toniest stretch) is more Independence Center than Madison Avenue. Considering the Plaza is an important tourist destination for the region, I think it's necessary for it to continue to have great shopping (I'd say they're at 60-70% right now).

Think about Saks:

It went from Saks...
to Burberry, Mark Shale, Sony Style
to Burberry, lululemon, Eddie Bauer and Sur la Table

Now lululemon's sales per square feet are as high as Tiffany so I understand that, but the rest is a degradation of that space. Same with Mark Shale to Forever 21.

[ColumbusParkian]

On the flip side, Eddie Bower moved to accommodate Michal Kors and Kate Spade, bringing the collective shopping up a notch.

[KCMax]

Figlio's to close

http://www.tonyskansascity.com/2013/02/ ... fails.html

[smh]

Figlio's to close

http://www.tonyskansascity.com/2013/02/ ... fails.html

I think Cityscape mentioned this a week or so ago. And note that the Figlio's website says they're moving to another Plaza location...mysterious!

[KCPowercat]

Great location for a much more dynamic restaurant.

[brewcrew1000]

Id love to see True Food Kitchen or another Fox Restaurant concept replace Figlios. This boutique restaurant group owns North in Leawood, they mainly have restaurants in Arizona, Califorina and Colorado.
http://www.foxrc.com/restaurants/true-food-kitchen/

[earthling]

^Yeah, Plaza seems to attract the semi-upscale semi-small chains like the above, Season 52 and that new wine place from Chicago. That's a prime location for a similar place to overhaul the spot. Would think a small upscale chain with expansion bucks will grab it. Something that leans more foodie would be great but Plaza goes for mass appeal.

[KCMax]

[KCMax]

Austin-based Chuy’s restaurant coming to the Country Club Plaza

[kcjak]

Austin-based Chuy’s restaurant coming to the Country Club Plaza

The Plaza is sorely missing a place like this...Zocalo is mediocre at best. And a really great location in the old Figlio's spot.

[chrizow]

Nice! Chuy's is actually pretty awesome. It's "real" Tex-Mex and they have spicy salsas. Looking forward to this.

[KCPowercat]

Seems like it would have been a better P&L fit.....?

[Highlander]

Seems like it would have been a better P&L fit.....?

I like their food, not the best Mexican food from Texas but its better than most. I wonder how it will fit in on the Plaza too. They draw big crowds here in Houston and are very suburban with big signage and massive parking lot. Could be another battle to maintain the integrity of the Plaza's architecture. Would have fit in well with the P&L District.

[flyingember]

Heard from an Apple worker that they bid on the space H&M got. This individual also said they wanted to stay on the Plaza.

Can't prove if that's true, but it seems logical given how packed that store is at all hours.

So I'd keep them in mind when any notable space empties, especially if one of their neighbors plans to move.

[shaffe]

I believe Potbelly is opening on Tuesday.

[KCMax]

Kansas City’s Baldwin denim to open Country Club Plaza store

Matt Baldwin - one of GQ magazine’s four best new menswear designers in the country - will open a new store on the County Club Plaza.

Baldwin KC will sell both men’s and women’s denim and collections including shirts, knitwear, fleece, hats, shoes and accessories. It also will sell the line’s KC branded hats, T-shirts and accessories.

The store will be located on one of the Plaza’s hottest corners, 47th and Broadway, and next to the new Coach store. If all goes as planned, the 1,050-square-foot store is scheduled to open at 340 W. 47th St. on Sept. 1, just in time for the Plaza Art Fair.

[brewcrew1000]

Halls on the Plaza is closing. This could be a good thing, it would be nice to see a big retailer like Nordstrom, Needless Markups (Neiman Marcus), or something like a Grocery Store or Drug Store go in. I except that space to get filled rather easily.

[KCtoBrooklyn]

Yet another local business leaving the Plaza, likely to be replaced with a chain. Sure, a grocery store or drug store would be great, but there is no way Highwoods would go for that.

This is probably the ugliest building on the Plaza and one that I wouldn't mind seeing redeveloped (assuming it was done well) - especially if there is difficulty finding a tenant for such a large space.

[KSTHANE]

You think a grocery store would work there when a Whole Foods is going in a few blocks away?