KANSAS CITY, Mo.- From “The Lone Star” state, on Nov. 17, Country Club Plaza Owner Gillon Property Group — formerly HP Village Management, a Dallas, Texas-based real estate investment, development and operations company — revealed its latest renderings proposal for redevelopment of the 102-year-old Kansas City shop and restaurant epicenter.
In June 2024, Gillon Property Group purchased the Country Club Plaza from its previous owners Taubman Centers, Inc. and Macerich, and in its 17 months of ownership, the Dallas company has worked to assemble what it refers to as the “Country Club Plaza Master Planned Development (MPD).” A proposal, which was originally submitted to the City of Kansas City and its Compass KC Development Tracker in October 2025, now includes construction cost projections upwards of $1.4 billion with 30 years of tax abatement requests through Port KC.
Behind the Proposal
This proposal — which is available on the Compass KC website — features additions ranging from multistory buildings with residential units and retail and office space renovations to potential street layout changes for pedestrian prioritization and parking space expansions for both vehicles and bicycles.
Gillon Property Group has outlined the following five goals its redevelopment project aims to work toward:
- Develop a public space that is adaptable and lively
- Emphasize walkability as an essential factor
- Encourage mixed-use outcomes for storefronts and businesses
- Guarantee building versatility for future purposes
- Improve and update overall Brand to reflect the Country Club Plaza’s uniqueness and redevelopment
Along with its list of goals, the developer has received recommendations from both the City of Kansas City and the public, which were collected from previous proposal submissions and various community input sessions — the latest of which was held on Nov. 24. Of feedback obtained, the following four elements were stated as recommendations for consideration, which were included in Gillon Property Group’s latest redevelopment proposal:
- Zero in on pedestrian friendly designs — sidewalk expansions, bike lanes, crosswalks, signage, etc.
- Create intentional active public spaces — pocket parks, outdoor public art.
- Cultivate uniqueness for locals and tourists alike — holiday events, markets, historic education, etc.
- Install improved features — lighting, landscaping, trash receptacles, benches, etc.
And as Gillon Property Group is looking to create a MPD district — a zone-area, which allows for large, mixed-use projects with flexible development standards and a unified plan for design and amenities — as part of its restoration project, there is a set of criteria required for a space, including the Country Club Plaza, to achieve MPD district consideration.
Currently, its proposal supports four of 11 required objectives, according to the City Plan Commission Staff Report, including:
- “Flexibility and creativity in responding to changing social, economic and market conditions;
- Compact, mixed-use development patterns where residential, commercial, civic and open spaces are located in close proximity to one another;
- Compatibility of buildings and other improvements as determined by their arrangement, massing, form, character and landscaping to establish a high quality livable environment;
- Attractive landscaping, lighting, architecture and signage that reflects the unique character of the development.”
This proposal is additionally currently composed of two parts, according to the City Plan Commission Staff Report: “the development plan that identifies the MPD district and the associated design guidelines, which identify how the Country Club Plaza district will be preserved and enhanced as the area is updated to meet modern-day needs.”
Community Impact
However, what many Kansas Citians have expressed concerns with is not in the proposal’s goals or the redevelopment itself, but rather, the cost projections for the space and the developer’s 30-year property tax free Port KC request.
“Tax abatements have been a problem for a long time between the City, we understand wanting to improve areas like the Plaza and make new areas for generations to enjoy, but we (Kansas City and its Public Schools) lose $45 million a year in tax abatements currently in place,” said AFT Local 691 President, David Price.
Port KC — a public agency and State of Missouri political subdivision also known as the Port Authority of Kansas City, which promotes economic development through transportation, commerce and development incentives — currently has a tax incentives and exemptions proposal under review from Gillon Property Group, which the developer submitted to the public agency in October 2025. This proposal includes sales tax, exemptions on construction materials and property tax abatements for up to 30 years. These incentives, the developer described, are designed to offset the costs of redevelopment and make its projects more financially viable.
And while these abatements could work to benefit the redevelopment project, the American Federation of Teachers shared they are apprehensive of what these exemptions could mean for Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS) and local institutions who rely on tax dollars for operation from curriculum to teacher salaries. With this particular project, Price shared, KCPS will face a deficit of $150 to $200 million over its 30-year timeline.
“This needs to be a collaboration with the school district,” he said. “I’m hoping to see the community able to get involved in conversations.”
It is tax-free projects, such as the potential this one beckons, which Price said have had an impact on Kansas City schools and the district’s ability to fund programs and complete routine maintenance.
“We wouldn’t have needed as much money for the bond if we had money coming in over the decade,” Price said in an interview, Monday. “People backed the bond, they want public schools to succeed.”
Port KC tabled Gillon Property Group’s proposal at its November meeting. While it is currently unknown when its board of commissioners will vote to approve or reject the developer’s request, Port KC is scheduled to meet at 3 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 15, according to its website.
With this project, the developer is additionally seeking to create a Tax Increment Financing District (TIF) — the increase in property taxes for a specific area determined by a local government to finance the costs of public improvements and private development projects — which would allow a new portion of the new tax revenues generated by the redeveloped property to be redirected to help pay for the project’s costs and infrastructure.
During its board meeting on Nov. 25, The TIF commission approved a plan that could include up to $210 million in potential public financing — or tax dollars — for infrastructure improvements. This includes up to $110 million for Gillon Property Group to use for private infrastructure like garages and street redesigns and $100 million in public infrastructure such as storm drains and sewer systems. This amount will not stem from an increase in taxes for Kansas Citians, according to the TIF Commission’s November board meeting agenda, but rather from a redirection of current city tax dollars.
This is planned to go before the City Council for final approval at its monthly meeting, Dec. 18.
Not only are tax abatement requests a cause of concern for AFT Local 691, but another element of this redevelopment project, which has remained a topic of conversation among many local union chapters respectively, is the location of the developer — including the impact over 500 miles of distance could have, particularly if Gillon Property Group does not select local contractors and workers.
“As with all taxpayer incentivized projects, there should be a genuine focus on using local contractors and local workforce on all aspects of the project,” said Greater KC Building & Construction Trades Council Political Director, Mike Talboy. “Building in the community is maximized when you are developing your local workforce with good wages, real training through Department of Labor certified apprenticeship programs, and opportunities for growth.”
“These public incentives should not be utilized to develop another region or state’s workforce, but rather, to keep as much of that money inside our region to be reinvested in our communities,” he said in a statement. “Kansas Citians should be able to confidently know that when one of these projects happens, it’s their neighbors doing the work.”
Gillon Property Group’s most recent Country Club Plaza proposal — inclusive of redevelopment plans, Port KC funding and tax abatement requests and TIF Commission support — went before the City Plan Commission on Dec. 3 at its bimonthly meeting, where it motioned to table the vote for its next meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 17, according to the meeting docket. This proposal will additionally go on to the City Council for review at its meeting on Thursday, Dec. 18.
Julia Williams — a Kansas City native — is a reporter and digital producer for The Labor Beacon. A University of Missouri School of Journalism alumna, she previously served as the editor-in-chief of The Northeast News before joining The Labor Beacon staff.
Williams’s grandfather was a Claycomo Ford Motor Company retiree and avid UAW Local 249 supporter, allowing her to understand the union difference from a young age.
In her free time, Williams enjoys spending time with her family, traveling to see her friends and hanging out at home with her cat, Greta. She loves a good cup of coffee, seeing local, live music and shopping secondhand. With a passion for storytelling, she hopes to bring her knowledge of journalistic integrity to the Kansas City union community — giving union and labor workers a voice, while holding people in powerful positions accountable.
