Plaza move-ins (ongoing)

[longtimelistener]

The white building is certainly a substantive improvement upon what would have been the Nordstrom endcap.

[msmith011]

My big takeaways from the article:

Still no construction timeline (sigh)
Nordstrom lot could be commercial or residential
More retailers are probably gonna dip out
Southwestern section of Plaza will be worked on first
Office space renovations are in-progress

[missingkc]

I have always thought the parking lot being replaced by the park would be a great place for a winter garden. Classic Cup could make great use of it.

[mgsports]

I have always thought the parking lot being replaced by the park would be a great place for a winter garden. Classic Cup could make great use of it.

Winter Classic NHL here.

[Chris Stritzel]

My big takeaways from the article:

Still no construction timeline (sigh)
Nordstrom lot could be commercial or residential
More retailers are probably gonna dip out
Southwestern section of Plaza will be worked on first
Office space renovations are in-progress

- I'm not too concerned if they don't yet have a construction timeline. If they're aiming to get this reimagining right (every indication makes it seem as so), I say let them take their time.
- Nordstrom lot would begin my opinion, better as residential. Especially if they aim for the height in that sketch. Parking should be in that adjacent garage.
- If more retailers dip out, then we can maybe start to consider reorienting some of the remaining high-end stores over to 47th Street.
- Southwestern area seems to be the furthest along in their concepts.
- Since they're renovating the existing office space, I see no real need to build another new office tower on the Plaza.

[KCPowercat]

I don't think it's the retailers wanting to leave as much as their leases aren't being offered for renewal so the new owners can bring in what they want

[Highlander]

I don't think it's the retailers wanting to leave as much as their leases aren't being offered for renewal so the new owners can bring in what they want

I kind of wonder who falls into their "it's imperative that we keep" category? There's a lot of stores that have long ago exited they should try to retrieve.

And the restaurants. They've already indicated their desire to let a lot of chains exit (Tuscan Brio). Does that mean old staples but crowd attractors like Cheesecake Factory and PF Changs? Fogo de Chao (kind of a tired concept?)? True Food Kitchen (never busy)? Buca de Beppo (yuck but oddly popular)?

[msmith011]

I kind of wonder who falls into their "it's imperative that we keep" category? There's a lot of stores that have long ago exited they should try to retrieve.

I assume anyone local, luxury/high-end or unique-to-market are the priorities to keep. I'm guessing stores like Claires and LensCrafters will get the axe.

Local: Tivol, Made in KC Marketplace, Charlie Hustle, etc.
Luxury/high-end: Tiffany & Co., Johnny Was, J. McLaughlin, etc.
Unique-to-market: The Normal Brand, J. Crew, Eileen Fisher, State & Liberty, etc.

Agree they should go back and get some of the stores that left years (and in some cases decades) ago. Burberry, St. John, Gucci, Polo Ralph Lauren, etc.

[ericwyner]

will rent to reasonable to non corporate chains?

[KCDowntown]

First permit I've seen related to work on the Plaza.

It's a preliminary project code review to go over the interior, exterior, core, shell and tenant areas of the Time, Time West, and Cordoba buildings.
These three buildings are probably better known by their current & former tenants:

Time: lululemon / Capital Grille
Time West: old Victoria's Secret
Cordoba: Burberry / Alter'd State / old Saks 5th Avenue

KCDowntown

[msmith011]

Of those three buildings, Time West is unique in that its ground level retail space is totally vacant. My guess is it will get rehabbed sooner without retailers to work around, but who knows.

[KCDowntown]

Application for new permit for interior demolition for former Houston's restaurant.

KCDowntown

[brooksidebadgers]

Went to Houstons in Scottsdale. That place is a shell of its former self. No spin dip or chicken tenders. 3 crappy beers on tap. We don't want them back. Sad. Something to do with lawsuit with Charlestons apparently.

[Highlander]

Went to Houstons in Scottsdale. That place is a shell of its former self. No spin dip or chicken tenders. 3 crappy beers on tap. We don't want them back. Sad. Something to do with lawsuit with Charlestons apparently.

That was an extremely popular restaurant even up to the point they left and the Plaza has nothing of that genre presently. But the stated goal is to bring in local eateries so not sure why Houston's would be a high priority. Houlihan's (in the same genre) would be a nod to history considering it started on the Plaza in 1972 but even that restaurant group left Kansas City when they were acquired by Landry's and is no longer local.