Country Club Plaza - wikipedia Country Club Plaza This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( July 2012 ) Country Club Plaza Kansas City 's Country Club Plaza Location Kansas City, Missouri, United States Coordinates 39 ° 02 ′ 29 '' N 94 ° 35 ′ 31 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 39.041323 ° N 94.591813 ° W ﻿ / 39.041323 ; - 94.591813 Coordinates : 39 ° 02 ′ 29 '' N 94 ° 35 ′ 31 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 39.041323 ° N 94.591813 ° W ﻿ / 39.041323 ; - 94.591813 Opening date 1922 ( established ) ; 1923 ( opened ) Developer J.C. Nichols Management Taubman Centers Owner Macerich and Taubman Centers Website countryclubplaza.com The Country Club Plaza ( often called The Plaza ) is a privately owned American shopping center in the Country Club District of Kansas City, Missouri. The center consists of 18 separate buildings representing 804,000 square feet of retail space and 468,000 square feet of office space. The standalone buildings are built in a distinctive Seville Spain theme and are on different blocks mostly west of Main Street and mostly north of Brush Creek and blends into the Country Club neighborhood around it and the area is often simply called the `` Plaza. '' It was the first shopping center in the world designed to accommodate shoppers arriving by automobile. The 55 - acre ( 223,000 m2 ) site is about four miles ( 6.44 km ) south of downtown, between 45th and 51st streets to the north and south and between Broadway and Madison Street to the east and west. The Kansas state line is one mile ( 1.6 km ) to the west. Established in 1922 by J.C. Nichols and designed architecturally after Seville, Spain, the Plaza comprises high - end retail establishments, restaurants, and entertainment venues, as well as offices. The neighborhoods surrounding the Plaza consist of upscale apartment buildings and mansions, especially those of the Country Club District built along Ward Parkway on the Plaza 's southern and southwestern side. The Country Club Plaza is named in the Project for Public Spaces ' list 60 of the World 's Great Places. Contents 1 History 2 Layout and use 3 Plaza lights 4 See also 5 References 6 External links History Brush Creek on the Plaza at night The Country Club Plaza was named for the associated Country Club District, the neighborhood developed by J.C. Nichols which surrounded the Kansas City Country Club ( now Loose Park ). It is situated at the northern terminus of Ward Parkway, a boulevard known for its wide, manicured median lined with fountains and statuary that traverses the Country Club District. Nichols selected the location carefully to provide residents with a direct route to the Plaza along Ward Parkway. Nichols began acquiring the land for the Plaza in 1907, in an area of Kansas City that was then known as Brush Creek Valley. When his plans were first announced, the project was dubbed ' Nichols ' Folly ' because of the then seemingly undesirable location ; at the time, the only developed land in the valley belonged to the Country Day School ( now the Pembroke Hill School ), and the rest was known for pig farming.. Nichols employed architect Edward Buehler Delk to design the new shopping district. The Plaza opened in 1923 to immediate success, and has lasted with little interruption since that year. New Urbanist land developer Andres Duany noted in Community Builder : The Life & Legacy of J.C. Nichols that the Country Club Plaza has had the longest life of any planned shopping center in the history of the world. One of its oldest retailers is the Jack Henry Clothing company, founded in 1931. For its first four decades, the Plaza combined some higher - end shops, such as Harzfeld 's, with a mix of more mid-level retailers such as Sears and Woolworth 's, as well such quotidian enterprises as a bowling alley, movie theater, and a grocery store to serve the daily needs of residents of the district.. From around 1970, competition from newer suburban shopping malls led management to reposition the Plaza with luxury hotels such as the Ritz - Carlton Hotel, higher - end restaurants, and upscale retailers including Gucci, Polo Ralph Lauren, FAO Schwarz, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bally, and Swanson 's. Higher - end stores currently located on Country Club Plaza are Tiffany & Co., St. John, Michael Kors, Kate Spade New York, Cole Haan and Eileen Fisher. On September 12, 1977, a major flood of Brush Creek caused severe damage to the Plaza and resulted in a number of deaths. The flood prompted a vast renovation and revitalization of the area that has allowed it not only to survive but to thrive. In 1998, the J.C. Nichols Company merged with Raleigh, North Carolina - based real - estate investment trust Highwoods Properties, who now runs the Country Club Plaza. On February 19, 2013, a large explosion destroyed JJ 's Restaurant on the Plaza. Believed to be caused by a gas leak, the blast left at least one person dead and sixteen injured. According to a statement from Missouri Gas Energy, a contractor doing underground work struck a gas line. Witnesses had reported a strong odor of natural gas in the area most of the afternoon. The initial explosion happened shortly after 6 p.m. and led to a four - alarm fire that caused the restaurant 's complete destruction as well as damage to surrounding buildings. JJ 's returned in November 2014 to a new location, still in the Country Club Plaza area. In 2016 Highwoods announced plans to sell the retail complex for $660 million to a 50 - 50 joint venture of Taubman Centers and The Macerich Company. On February 2, 2018, Nordstrom announced it would be moving from Oak Park Mall in Overland Park, Kansas to a new space on the Country Club Plaza expected to open in 2021. Layout and use This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( December 2013 ) The Giralda Tower, inspired by the original at the Cathedral of Seville. The basic design of the Country Club Plaza reflects classic European influences, especially those of Seville, Spain, yet it does not include a traditional open plaza. There are more than 30 statues, murals, and tile mosaics on display in the area, as well as major architectural reproductions, such as a half - sized Giralda Tower of Seville ( the tallest building in the Plaza ). The Plaza also includes reproductions of San Francisco 's Path of Gold streetlights. Other works of art celebrate the classics, nature, and historical American themes such as westward expansion, and a magnificent fountain featuring four horses rearing up on their hind legs, designed by Henri - Léon Gréber. Although the Plaza was designed and built to accommodate visitors arriving by automobile, it is unlike modern shopping malls with sprawling parking lots : parking is concealed in multilevel parking garages beneath and behind the shops, or on the rooftops of buildings. The Plaza was also the first shopping center to use the percentage lease, where rents are based on a percentage of the gross receipts of tenants. This concept was novel when Nichols invented it, but it is now a standard practice in commercial leases. Several companies are based in the Country Club Plaza area, including American Century Investments, Russell Stover Candies, Inergy, and Gates Bar - B-Q. Plaza Lights This article may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may interest only a particular audience. Please help by spinning off or relocating any relevant information, and removing excessive detail that may be against Wikipedia 's inclusion policy. ( December 2013 ) In 1925, a single strand of 16 colored lights was placed above a doorway in the Country Club Plaza to celebrate Christmas. The number of lights increased annually, inspiring an official lighting ceremony that first took place in 1930. On Thanksgiving night, tens of thousands of people visit the Plaza for the local entertainment / performances and to watch the switch - throwing to initiate the Christmas season. A special guest or celebrity `` flips the switch '' each year. In its 84th year ( as of 2013 ), the Country Club Plaza 's `` Season of Lights '' is one of the city 's oldest traditions. The lights are turned on at 6 : 54 pm on Thanksgiving and shine from 5 : 00 pm to 3 : 00 am daily through mid-January of the following year. The one - to two - hour ceremony is broadcast live on location television station KSHB. See also Architecture portal Business and economics portal Missouri portal List of largest shopping malls in the United States List of neighborhoods in Kansas City, Missouri List of shopping malls in the United States References Jump up ^ http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2016/01/04/country-club-plaza-kc-partners-purchase.html Jump up ^ `` ' Nichols ' Folly ' ''. Retailtrafficmag.com. May 1, 1999. Archived from the original on February 13, 2012. Retrieved December 28, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Art & History ''. Country Club Plaza. Archived from the original on December 25, 2011. Retrieved December 28, 2011. Jump up ^ `` One Mans Vision ''. County Club Plaza official website. 2012. Retrieved 20 February 2013. Jump up ^ Staff ( undated ). `` Kansas City Office & Retail Space -- Highwoods Properties -- Kansas City, Missouri ''. Highwoods Properties. Retrieved July 31, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Plaza explosion leaves one dead, up to 16 injured ''. WAVE - TV website. 20 February 2013. Retrieved 20 February 2013. Jump up ^ `` JJ 's restaurant returns Wednesday ''. Retrieved April 27, 2017. Jump up ^ ( 1 ) Jump up ^ https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nordstrom-announces-relocation-of-oak-park-mall-store-to-country-club-plaza-300592709.html Jump up ^ `` Plaza Lights Kansas City - Plaza Lights Ceremony - Plaza Lights ''. Kansascity.about.com. November 9, 2011. Retrieved December 28, 2011. Jump up ^ Kaut, Steve ( November 5, 2010 ). `` Chiefs Top Running Backs Will Flip the Switch Thanksgiving Night at the Plaza Lighting Ceremony -- Thomas Jones and Jamaal Charles To Share the Honor ''. KSHB - TV. Retrieved July 31, 2012. Jump up ^ Staff ( n.d. ). `` 2010 Season of Lights Presented by KCP&L ''. Kansas City Power and Light Company. Archived from the original on March 10, 2012. Retrieved July 31, 2012. Jump up ^ ( 2 ). The Kansas City Star. Archived November 27, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ `` About Us - KSHB.com ''. Retrieved April 27, 2017. Jump up ^ ( 3 ). The Kansas City Star. Archived December 2, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on October 3, 2010. Retrieved November 21, 2010... KCTV. External links countryclubplaza.com, the shopping center 's official website Country Club Plaza from Project for Public Spaces ( PPS ) The Kansas City Area Kansas City, Missouri The Metro Area History Timeline Economy Neighborhoods Architecture Fountains Barbecue Jazz Broadcast Film Education Sports Kansas City area shopping malls Enclosed Crown Center Independence Center The Landing Oak Park Mall Lifestyle / Outdoor Corbin Park Country Club Plaza Leavenworth Plaza Legends Outlets Kansas City Summit Woods Crossing Summit Fair Town Center Plaza Ward Parkway Center Zona Rosa Defunct Antioch Center Bannister Mall Blue Ridge Mall Indian Springs Mall Metcalf South Shopping Center Metro North Mall Mission Center Mall The Great Mall of the Great Plains Shopping malls in Missouri St. Louis Chesterfield Mall The Crossings at Northwest Mid Rivers Mall Plaza Frontenac Saint Louis Galleria South County Center St. Louis Outlet Mall West County Center Kansas City Blue Ridge Crossing Country Club Plaza Independence Center The Landing Summit Fair Summit Woods Crossing Ward Parkway Center Zona Rosa Elsewhere Battlefield Mall Brookside Shopping District Capital Mall Columbia Mall East Hills Mall Northpark Mall The Shops on Blue Parkway West Park Mall Westport Plaza Defunct Antioch Crossing Bannister Mall Blue Ridge Mall Crestwood Court Jamestown Mall Metro North Mall River Roads Mall St. Louis Union Station Macerich Arizona Arrowhead Towne Center Biltmore Fashion Park Chandler Fashion Center Desert Sky Mall Estrella Falls Flagstaff Mall Kierland Commons La Encantada Palisene ( unbuilt ) Paradise Valley Mall SanTan Village Scottsdale Fashion Square Superstition Springs Center California Arden Fair Mall ( managed with no ownership interest ) Broadway Plaza Capitola Mall Fashion Fair Mall Inland Center La Cumbre Plaza Lakewood Center Los Cerritos Center The Mall of Victor Valley The Oaks Pacific View Mall Santa Monica Place Stonewood Center The Village at Corte Madera Vintage Faire Mall Westside Pavilion Colorado Flatiron Crossing Mall Twenty Ninth Street Connecticut Danbury Fair Illinois The Shops at North Bridge SouthPark Mall Indiana Eastland Mall Iowa NorthPark Mall Southridge Mall Missouri Country Club Plaza ( 50 %, remaining share owned by Taubman Centers ) New Jersey Deptford Mall Freehold Raceway Mall New York Cross County Shopping Center Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls Green Acres Mall Kings Plaza Queens Center The Shops at Atlas Park Wilton Mall at Saratoga Oregon Valley River Center Washington Square Pennsylvania Fashion District Philadelphia ( 50 %, remaining share owned by PREIT, managed by PREIT ) Texas South Plains Mall Virginia Tysons Corner Center Valley Mall Westcor Wilmorite Properties Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Country_Club_Plaza&oldid=853679737 '' Categories : 1922 establishments in Missouri Buildings and structures completed in 1923 Buildings and structures in Kansas City, Missouri Neighborhoods in Kansas City, Missouri Shopping districts and streets in the United States Shopping malls in Missouri Tourist attractions in Kansas City, Missouri Mixed - use developments in Missouri Hidden categories : All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from April 2017 Webarchive template wayback links Articles needing additional references from July 2012 All articles needing additional references Use mdy dates from July 2012 Coordinates on Wikidata All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from October 2007 Articles needing additional references from December 2013 Articles with unsourced statements from July 2012 Articles with unsourced statements from July 2007 Wikipedia articles needing style editing from December 2013 All articles needing style editing Wikipedia articles that are excessively detailed from December 2013 All articles that are excessively detailed Talk Contents About Wikipedia فارسی Edit links This page was last edited on 6 August 2018, at 09 : 14 ( UTC ). 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Question: what is the country club plaza in kansas city
Answer: shopping center