KANSAS CITY, MO — During our "Let's Talk" event in Parkville, I had a viewer come up to me and say, "Listen, you guys talk about The Plaza a lot. I live closer to Zona Rosa, and I'd love to know what the future holds for that place."
So I brought that question to the general manager of Zona Rosa, with just a few days left in the holiday shopping season.
"I think it's sustainable," Scott Zigler told me. "I think it will change. Our vision for the property is to be the center of gravity for the Northland. You can live, work, play, eat, all of those types of things."
Zigler told me that Zona Rosa is about 75 percent occupied right now, and they're looking to announce some new businesses and restaurants in early 2026.
But he also stressed that locations like Zona Rosa have to be purposeful about attracting people.
"We do all sorts of (free) events," Zigler said. "Next year, we're hosting a World Cup watch party, it's (one of) 40 events a year. It's concerts, it's big spring festivals, we do Festa Italiana that brings 30 thousand people from all over the region."
"We have offices and apartments here that are successful, and I would imagine that as you look ahead 5-10 years, you'll see more of those uses to bring more people here on a regular basis," Zigler added. "I just think the uses may evolve as businesses try to figure out what works for their customers."
I also asked Zigler about factors outside of Zona's control, including development in the Northland.
"There are single family homes and apartments going up in the area, across the 152 Corridor, all the way from Liberty to here," Zigler said. "More people looking for more things to do, and ways to spend their money. I think we'll continue to see that growth."
As to the changes coming to the Country Club Plaza, which is what the Parkville viewer brought up to me during our conversation, Zigler said he watches that closely too.
He told me that what's good for the Plaza is good for every shopping venue in Kansas City, including Zona Rosa. They all want to see each other succeed, and keep attracting businesses to Kansas City.
