KANSAS CITY, Mo. — There are already small signs of change at Zona Rosa since a new management company stepped in last month.
Trademark Property Company of Fort Worth, Texas added new landscaping, repaired curbs and did away with parking meters for the time being.
But much bigger changes are on the horizon. The company held a brainstorming session Wednesday with architects and designers in an empty storefront at Zona Rosa.
"There's a little too much retail and not enough multi-family, not enough office, hotel," Trademark Property Company CEO Terry Montesi said of the development.
Trademark took the reins from Olshan Properties, a New York-based company that came up $500,000 short in its 2017 bond payment on Zona Rosa. Platte County taxpayers are ultimately responsible for the bonds it took to build and expand the retail development.
"The project has underperformed under their stewardship," Montesi said of Olshan.
During Wednesday's session, architects and planners talked about adding housing and hotels to boost revenue at Zona Rosa. Montesi said there will likely be one to two hotels there in the next five years.
"There's a lot of shopping and eating opportunities up here, and I think it would be a great idea," Kari Flowers, who lives nearby, said.
"If you invest in it, maybe more people would come," said Melissa Regan, another shopper.
Trademark plans to ask shoppers and residents for their input before any major changes are made. In the meantime, visitors can expect to see more small fixes, like curb repairs and the addition of public art.
