KC could loosen Plaza’s height limits to allow tower on lot Nordstrom left empty

Kansas City could soon pave the way for a new high-rise tower in the Plaza.

Currently, a vacant lot has lingered for years on the west side of the Plaza at 4720 Jefferson St. Buildings were demolished there to make way for a proposed Nordstorm store, which was first announced in 2018. By 2022, those plans were dropped, leaving the empty site.

The Plaza’s new ownership group that took over in 2024, Dallas-based The Village Collection, now hopes to encourage new development on the property. The group has presented a vision for a mixed-use tower that could be around 15 to 18 stories and include offices, retail, outdoor patios and other uses with stepped-back floors.

“We continue to come back to this site, realizing that it really is a physical representation of promises that were not kept before we arrived, and really bifurcates the site and really is a detriment to the area,” ownership group official Dustin Bullard told the City Council’s neighborhood committee on Tuesday. “We see this as the fastest development site to add what we believe is needed, which is additional bodies to the Plaza.”

Specific plans for redeveloping the site have not yet been presented.

City code has certain rules and regulations for what can be built in the Plaza, owing to its unique architecture and history, including limits on building height to preserve the “bowl” of lower-height buildings in the center.

A building on what was supposed to be the Nordstrom store currently would have to be between 45 feet and 130 feet.

The neighborhood committee signed off on proposed changes that would instead allow a building with up to 275 feet. The changes would also allow office use on the ground floor of a building on the site without special permission.

The City Council is expected to vote on final approval on Thursday. The proposed change comes as the Plaza’s new owners have worked to improve infrastructure and safety in the neighborhood, which has experienced struggles in recent years, while priming it for new development.

Kate Marshall of the Plaza District Council told the neighborhood committee that the ownership group has the Plaza’s better interests at heart and is invested in preserving the Plaza’s character while keeping developments within its iconic style.

“From what we’ve seen and heard, we feel this proposal is a reasonable request, and we’ll continue to advocate for broad and early engagement so that community voices can meaningfully contribute to the future of the Country Club Plaza,” Marshall said.

Concerns remain from some neighborhood organizers about the higher allowed height. In a letter, the Plaza Westport Neighborhood Association wrote that the change may encourage more requests to add height, and that other Plaza Bowl height limits “should remain in place to provide a reliable basis for future development and investment by both commercial and residential uses.”

“Our main concern is for the architectural significance and heritage of the Country Club Plaza,” the letter said.

This story was originally published September 11, 2025 at 6:29 AM.