| Country Club Plaza |
Article Index for Country Club |
Website Links For Country Club |
Information AboutCountry Club Plaza |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA | |
| kansas city metropolitan area | |
| shopping districts and streets | |
| neighborhoods in kansas city, missouri | |
|
The Country Club Plaza (often referred to as '''The Plaza''') is an historic and highly upscale Shopping District and Neighborhood centered around 55 acres (223,000 m²) in Kansas City , Missouri , USA . It is located approximately six miles south of Downtown , between 45th street and 51st street to the north and south, and between Broadway and Madison Street to the east and west. The Kansas border is one mile away to the west. The Plaza shopping district, established in 1922 and designed architecturally after Seville, Spain , and owned today by national commercial real estate proprietor Highwoods Properties, is comprised of high-end retail establishments, entertainment venues, offices, and restaurants. The surrounding Plaza neighborhood is comprised of highly upscale apartments, co-ops, townhouses, and some homes (and the Sunset Hill neighborhood immediately south of the Plaza, known for its grand and historic homes, has the highest average income per resident of any of Kansas City's 150 Registered Neighborhoods ). HISTORY The Plaza was the one of the first shopping districts in the United States planned for automobiles. Designed and constructed by real estate developer J.C. Nichols , it opened in 1922. The availability of filling stations, garages and parking lots was a central theme in its layout. The Plaza was built in a swampy area of Kansas City known as Brush Creek Valley. Nichols began acquiring land as early as 1907 , and when his plans were first announced the project was dubbed as 'Nichols' Folly' due to the then seemingly-undesirable location. At the time, the only developed land in the Valley belonged to the Pembroke School For Boys , and the rest was known for pig farming. Upon opening, however, the Country Club Plaza proved to be an immediate success, something that has lasted with little interruption since. Moreover, it drastically transformed the urban layout of Kansas City, aiding in vast southward Sprawl over the following century. 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 to not only survive, but thrive through the present day. LAYOUT AND USE The basic design of the Plaza reflects European and classical influences, especially those of Spain . There are more than thirty statues and tile-laced murals on display in the area, as well as major architectural reproductions, such as the Giralda Tower of Seville (the tallest building in the Country Club Plaza). The Plaza also includes precise light fixture reproductions of San Francisco's ''Path of Golden Lights''. Other works of art celebrate the classics, nature, and historical American themes such as Westward Expansion . Beginning in 1925 , the Country Club Plaza began a tradition of outlining the entire district in lights at Christmas time. The yearly lighting ceremony of the plaza regularly attracts as many as 250,000 people and is held on Thanksgiving night to open the holiday season. SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
|
|
|