At yesterday’s City Planning Commission (CPC) meeting, the Plaza’s ownership group requested approval to increase the allowable height on the “Seville West” parcel—up to a maximum of 275 feet. Both City staff and CPC recommended approval.

This proposal is the first step in the process. From here, it will advance to the Neighborhood Planning and Development Committee on September 9, and then to the full City Council on September 12.

The Plaza District Council (PDC) will be actively engaged throughout these discussions. We’ve spoken with Plaza ownership, adjacent property owners, and city leaders—and we remain committed to helping facilitate public engagement.

At the CPC hearing, our President & CEO, Kate Marshall, shared PDC’s perspective:

“The Plaza District Council recognizes and appreciates the significant investment represented by this request to allow a 20+ story building on the Country Club Plaza. We also acknowledge the critical importance to both the Plaza and the City of Kansas City, of retaining a major employer that has called the Plaza home for nearly 60 years.

The Plaza has a rich history of change and growth, and we are grateful that the current ownership group is taking a long view—planning for a Plaza that will continue to be a landmark destination, a critical revenue producer for the city, and a beautiful, vibrant city center for another 100 years .

It would be great if the entire community could embrace the development that rises on this too long neglected parcel. The Plaza District Council is committed to building community trust through communication, information and transparency.

Our role is neither to approve or reject one specific plan over another. We stand for a connected community where all stakeholders have the opportunity to be part of a collaborative process—so that the sum of the parts is greater than the whole.

We enthusiastically support a process where complete information regarding land use, design, prospective tenants and their development partners enables straightforward and open dialogue.  Neighboring property owners and residents deserve to be made aware of and engaged in proposals of this scale – their interests and experiences are directly affected. For this project to be successful it will require a foundation of trust and community buy-in.Watching a 4 dimensional chess game from the sidelines and trying to understand it is an extremely frustrating experience.

We strongly support maintaining the Plaza’s historic character and preserving the look and feel of the Plaza – by keeping new developments within the context and character of the Plaza’s iconic style.   We respectfully urge that future proposals incorporate broader and earlier engagement so that community voices can meaningfully contribute to the future of the Country Club Plaza.”

This is just the beginning of a pivotal discussion about the future of the Plaza. We encourage neighbors, businesses, and community members to stay engaged, ask questions, and help shape what comes next.