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Save Our Plaza!

The Country Club Plaza is a nationally-known shopping district, famous for its elegantly-detailed Spanish influenced architecture.  Dating from the early decades of the twentieth century, the Plaza was the nation's first shopping district oriented explicitly towards shoppers arriving by car.  The Plaza is one of the amenities that define Kansas City and is an icon for many local residents.

The Plaza's  popularity has lead to phenomenal growth over the years, with varied results.  Some buildings have augmented the Plaza's strengths, while others have been less sympathetic to the original design intent.  Some of the original fabric of the Plaza has been lost over the years to insensitive intrusions.

The Plaza is under threat again.  Polsinelli/Shughart - a prominent law firm - recently announced plans to erect a $57,000,000 eight-story headquarters two blocks from where they are currently located.  This new headquarters involves the alteration of one of the Plaza's landmark buildings, the so-called "Balcony Building" (left, top).  The current scheme, visible in the lower image, would alter the facade of the Balcony Building by removing one or more bays of its 47th Street facade and create a new courtyard entry into the new building.  The new building also involves the destruction of an existing apartment building at the top of the hill on 46th Terrace.

This building does little to add to the Plaza's ambience.  It is too tall and too massive for its site and does nothing to reinforce the "bowl" nature of the design intent of the Plaza called for by local planning agencies.  It pays scant design reference to the general Plaza theme of Spanish and Moorish-influenced design.  That it also alters irrevocably one of the original Plaza buildings adds to its negative impact on the Plaza.

The Kansas City Bungalow Club, as advocate for the pre-war architectural heritage of Kansas City, feels that this building is an unwelcome intrusion  and may become a dangerous precedent for development on the Plaza.  If you feel as we do, you are urged to speak out by contacting the City Council in writing to express your opinion.  The Historic Kansas City Foundation is sponsoring a Facebook page called "Save the Plaza 2010."  We urge you to visit that page for the latest information on how to add your voice to those of others in the community who feel that this building should not be allowed to happen on this site.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Save Our Plaza

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See our "Events" tab for important information on the February 1st public hearing at City Hall about this new tower!