KANSAS CITY, Missouri — The iconic County Club Plaza is getting ready to celebrate a huge milestone, 100 years.
“People love to come down to the Plaza,” said Kendra Goodman, manager of marketing and sponsorship for the Plaza. "It’s a great place to shop and eat, walk around and enjoy the beautiful buildings.”
This milestone comes as newly released data from Market Beat shows vacancy rates among shopping districts are on the decline. The national average of vacancies is 5.9%, with Kansas City a little higher at 6.4%.
However, despite challenges retailers have faced during and post-pandemic, the country continues to welcome new stores. This year, Kansas City’s crown jewel added 10 new storefronts to its lineup.
- Lovesac
- The Normal Brand
- Tirza Design
- KC Style Haus
- The Shade Store
- Pandora Jewelry
- Psycho Bunny
- Pure Barre
- Club Pilates
- Pink Lipps
The Shade Store opened its doors in July and specializes in shades, blinds and other window needs and treatments. Employees say the location is a "destination" for Midwesterners from Omaha, Iowa and St. Louis.
Longtime Plaza tenant Tivol is confident in the Plaza's future despite recent departures from stores like Kate Spade, Michael Kors and Victoria’s Secret within the past two years.
“My great grandfather started Tivol downtown, and when my grandfather came back after World War II, he saw the vision of the Plaza, of what it was going to be in the future,” said Hunter Tivol McGrath, vice president of Tivol. “It really has remained the same, and while change can sometimes be good, I absolutely love the charm that it has.”
KSHB 41 News asked Plaza officials what their current vacancy rate was, but they wouldn’t disclose the information.
In walking the district, KSHB 41 found the Country Club Plaza currently has space for 157 stores. At this time, 126 are filled, 24 were noticeably vacant and seven stores had signs indicating they were coming.
Thus, KSHB concludes the district has a 15% vacancy rate.
After asking the Plaza owners if their numbers match, they shared the following statement:
"We will continue to patiently curate the right mix of tenants to ensure the future success and longevity of the Plaza. We believe the right tenant lineup includes beloved local businesses, popular national brands and emerging retailers. With differing lease terms and other business considerations, this type of change takes time. We were pleased to soon welcome Ice Cream Bae, Capital One Café, Parachute Home, JD Sports and Nike Live to the Plaza, and will announce other new tenants as appropriate.”
