The Country Club Plaza, commonly regarded as America’s first outdoor shopping mall, debuted in Kansas City, Missouri, more than a century ago. Over time, it gained popularity among locals and visitors. The numerous blocks of street-level shops, eateries, and entertainment venues in structures modeled after Seville, Spain, draw tourists from all around. During the Christmas season, tens of thousands of people visit the plaza to shop and take in the 200,000 lights that adorn its buildings. Additionally, the annual three-day art fair in September draws about 100,000 visitors.
Although Country Club Plaza’s architectural appeal has kept it attractive, it has gotten harder to keep those visitors coming. Retailers at the plaza have been losing ground to e-commerce for years, much like stores in many other sections of the nation.
With a new ownership group in 2024 that includes two great-granddaughters of Texan oil magnate H.L. Hunt, the plaza, which is about the size of 13 football fields with 732,000 square feet of retail space, appeared to have a better future. The firm recently unveiled their $1.5 billion plan, which includes 278 hotel rooms, at least 645,000 square feet of business space, and 750 additional flats and possibly condominiums. A park and ex are also planned.
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