KSHB 41 reporter Caroline Hogan covers development across the Kansas City area. Share your story idea with Caroline.
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Country Club Plaza tenants and shoppers are giving the area's new owners, HP Village Management, mostly positive reviews after their first year of management, with improved security and communication being the top highlights.
KSHB 41's growth and development reporter Caroline Hogan has been covering the changes on the Plaza for the past year. She asked tenants and businesses to grade the new owners on their first year.
Steven Colling, who lives on the Plaza, gives the new management a B.
"I think there is promise coming, for sure," Colling said.
Rita Slavens, a Plaza shopper, was slightly less enthusiastic.
"I'd give 'em a high C, 'cause we're not full," Slavens said.
Bill Starmer, manager of Rally House Plaza East, was much more positive in his assessment.
"I would say an A for sure," Starmer said.
When asked about the biggest change in the past year, most had the same answer.
"I would say probably security," Colling said.
Starmer agrees with that statement.
"You can really see it enough to where we started extending our hours," Starmer said.
Other Plaza businesses that preferred to remain anonymous gave mostly As and Bs, also citing better security and communication as key improvements.
Emily Bordner, owner of EB and Co., noted she has had more meetings with the new owners this past year than she ever did with the previous management. She gives them an A.
"I feel like they're doing really good," Bordner said. "They are eager to do things differently, and they want to try new things."
What's keeping some businesses from giving the highest grade? The empty storefronts.
One business that wants to remain anonymous believes that vacant spaces are the reason they have seen a decrease in sales.
But as Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas explained, those issues involve deeper infrastructure challenges.
"I think that there is a lot more infrastructure that they wanted to make sure they had a full look at before they were looking at the next step," Lucas said.
Overall, people appear to be satisfied with the Plaza's direction under new ownership.
"We're excited to keep it going," Starmer said.
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