Kansas City’s Plaza could be closed to cars under ‘pedestrian-friendly’ proposal

Where we’re shopping, we don’t need roads. Or maybe we do — but more “pedestrian-friendly” ones.

That’s the basic thought some, including elected city leaders, have for the future of Country Club Plaza, Kansas City’s historic outdoor shopping mall. On Monday evening, area interest group Urban Lab KC unveiled early concepts for remaking the Plaza to become a more walkable place as its leaders hope to kickstart community discussion around the topic.

On the table is a proposal for closing off portions of some high-traffic streets — specifically Mill Creek Parkway and intersections at Broadway Boulevard, Pennsylvania Avenue and Central Street — to vehicular traffic entirely.

Also being pitched is a “shared space” concept where cars continue to drive through “the heart” of the Plaza under a redesign that’s easier for pedestrians to navigate.

Roughly 125 people came out to hear the idea and offer their takes during a public meeting in the Kansas City Public Library’s Plaza branch at 48th and Main streets. Some expressed belief that the Plaza has been in decline over the years, while others were hopeful for a shopping experience without worrying about vehicular traffic.

Chad Grittman, of Urban Lab KC, emceed the event. He told attendees his community group is composed of residents, including architects and designers, who “love Kansas City” and want to have a conversation about the Plaza. He acknowledged there are “a lot of opinions” on both sides of the fence.

“We’re just here to talk about it,” Grittman said.

Specific details were fairly light on Monday. Renderings depict a tree-lined center of the shopping district with a fountain in the middle of Broadway and Nichols.

A cost analysis of such a project was not presented. By the estimate of Urban Lab KC, about 115 parking spaces could be removed from the street to make the design a reality.

In presenting the idea, representatives from Urban Lab KC said the changes could improve the local economy, reduce crime and increase civic pride. They also pointed to walking-friendly design trends in Boston and Minneapolis — and Seville, Spain, the sister city that inspired the Plaza’s iconic Giralda Tower and the design of the entire shopping district.

Along with the presentation was a brief panel discussion that included Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas. The mayor expressed support for the idea, saying next steps should involve conversations with “key stakeholders,” engagement with residents and assessments of the potential impact on the economy and traffic.

Notably absent from Monday’s panel was representation of the owners and operators of the Plaza. A spokesperson reached by The Star on Monday declined to comment on the concept.

Speaking to news reporters after the community meeting, Lucas, 39, recalled getting braces at the Plaza Medical Building when he was a teenager, saying he recalled more foot traffic there in the 1990s.

The mayor also referenced a major blow to the shopping district that came last year when fashion retailer Nordstrom, Inc. bailed on its plan to open a Plaza store. Groundwork was already laid as Nordstrom had promised to anchor the west side of the shopping center by late 2023.

“Nobody wants to break the Plaza. We want more people there,” Lucas said.

“I see an empty dirt pit right now,” the mayor added of the Nordstrom issue. “And I see real concern. I see the fact that we don’t have the same type of pedestrian traffic that we did when I got my braces put on in the 1990s as a real concern.”

Among those watching the presentation Monday was newly-seated Councilman Johnathan Duncan, whose 6th District includes the Plaza and neighborhoods to the south. He called the idea an “exciting concept” that could “reclaim some of the streets for pedestrian traffic.”

“The Plaza used to be a destination for an experience,” Duncan said. “And I think this helps to achieve that.”