KSHB 41 reporter Caroline Hogan covers development across the Kansas City area. Share your story idea with Caroline.
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It's been three months since HP Village Management purchased the Country Club Plaza, and there have already been changes.
"We came in and painted all the stairwells, brought in new lighting, brought in new security," said Ray Washburne, president of HP Village Management. "We’ve added about a million dollars to the security budget."
The group also prioritized cleaning up the area, including washing sidewalks and windows.
Washburne said the group has talked to every tenant to assess their needs and success.
So while a team is in New York City scouting out the best stores to bring in, HP Village is focused on local food.
"We’ve found what Kansas City really wants is a local food and beverage scene back," Washburne said. "You have a great culinary scene in this town, but it isn’t in the Plaza, so we’re going to bring that here."
In fact, Washburne was in town to sample some of the popular spots in the city.
HP Village mentioned adding a grocery store or bodega as part of the plan, too.
More recently, there have been rumors of a Trader Joe's coming to the Plaza.
"We get a lot of fan mail here of suggestions, and a Trader Joe’s would be nice, or you have some great local operators of some grocery stores that we’re talking to as well," Washburne said.
When Washburne said "fan mail," he wasn't kidding.
The team said it received an outpouring of notes and emails offering support and suggestions.
"Dealing with the preservation groups and the neighborhood groups, we’re all on the same page of what we want to do here," Washburne said.
Kate Marshall, president of the Plaza District Council, agreed, saying HP Village has kept its promise to work with community groups.
"I had a couple hundred people come out and listen to Ray share his vision in person, and they all had the opportunity to meet him, shake his hand and thank him," Marshall said.
Marshall said she has noticed the little things the group has done to improve the shopping center and appreciates how much care has been put into it.
"It’s tiny little incremental pieces that together leave you with the impression that this is a cared-for community and a cared-for environment," Marshall said.
So, what can people expect to see next? Washburne said street construction in the spring.
"With Brush Creek and the drainage and the sewage, a lot of this stuff is from the 1930s," Washburne said. "That’s one reason we need to rip the streets out and redo them because we got to get to the underground utility work."
HP Village's goal is to complete the project before Kansas City hosts the World Cup in 2026.
"When you have your hundreds of thousands of visitors to Kansas City, this will be a proud place you’ll want to bring them," Washburne said.
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