KC advances plan to privatize Plaza’s sidewalks, giving developer more authority

Kansas City is one step closer to giving up control of public sidewalks on the Country Club Plaza.

Gillon Property Group, the firm that owns much of the property in the Plaza’s core, is seeking to take responsibility for the sidewalks around its buildings in the historic district both to enhance them aesthetically and to better manage disruptions to visitors. Sidewalks tied to public parks along Mill Creek Parkway and Ward Parkway would not be included in the privatization effort, and neither would the streets themselves.

As Gillon pursues large-scale revitalization of the historic Plaza, which has struggled as a commercial district in recent years, the company has said the change would help carry out its goals to invest in and improve the on-the-ground environment for visitors — with things like benches, landscaping and new paving material in outdoor space — while boosting security.

That would be one part of Gillon’s broader plan to attract new businesses and residents to the Plaza in the years to come, including by building new high-rise buildings and a possible “plaza on the Plaza.”

The city’s plan commission voted on Wednesday to forward the sidewalk proposal to the City Council with a recommendation to approve. The council would have a final vote at a later date. The city would retain access for utilities and traffic equipment.

Through multiple hearings with the plan commission, one lingering question was what, exactly, would constitute a “nuisance” that would need to be addressed on Plaza sidewalks.

What would be a nuisance on the Plaza?

On Wednesday, Gillon Vice President Dustin Bullard emphasized the Plaza’s existing code of conduct.

He said the Plaza currently uses private security and Kansas City police officers to help provide safety patrols and address law violations or perceived nuisance behavior, when needed.

The code of conduct lays out certain activities that are not allowed in the Plaza, including violations of the law, activities that threaten the safety of the public or could cause property damage, activities that could disrupt tenants’ businesses, and professional photography without management consent.

Listing other examples of activities that might not be accepted within the Plaza, Bullard said that could include amplified sound and violation of noise ordinances alongside any activity that would “disrupt pedestrian flow.”

“We’ve talked a lot about pedestrian flow and the importance of people being able to walk and have enjoyment of this space and that great experience within the Plaza,” Bullard said.

He also said that several areas on the Plaza are already privately owned, like many of the courtyards, and that the company doesn’t see any change in operations with the sidewalk transfer related to the notion of a nuisance.

Bullard said the Plaza’s private security is in a role to educate people on the code of conduct and law violations. They are there to ask for compliance and educate on anything that does arise, and matters could then be escalated to the police department, he said.

“That’s how we function today, and we do not see any change within there,” he said. “Our private security will continue to operate as they do today.”

Bullard also said that the police department is the only entity that can remove someone from property.

“We’re not empowered to remove a person,” he said. “Again, that would be escalated up to the police department.”

Plaza sidewalk maintenance, closures

Plaza ownership already carries out maintenance of the sidewalks, and the intent of the control transfer would be to streamline the process by becoming fully responsible, they say.

Meanwhile, the sidewalks would be expected to remain open to pedestrians 24/7 except for temporary closures for special events, emergencies, maintenance and repair.

And as the plan is finalized for a City Council vote, the plan commission asked to specifically articulate that there will not be any controlled entry or public checkpoints to the sidewalks, which are part of the neighborhood’s grid.

That’s a significant difference between the Plaza sidewalk plan and the Westport privatization from 2017, which does include controlled entry to certain sidewalks and streets at certain times.

Another concern previously raised was whether privatizing the Plaza’s sidewalks could push nuisance activity into the surrounding neighborhood. Bullard said Wednesday that Gillon’s core belief is being collaborative and being good neighbors, and that they’ve met with the Plaza Westport Neighborhood Association.

Tom Davis of the neighborhood association said at the hearing that the group’s meeting with Plaza ownership was positive. One unresolved issue, he said, is what happens if the Plaza doesn’t comply with “good neighbor” principles or its obligation to maintain the sidewalks.

He urged that the plan incorporate a way for the city to regain control of the sidewalks if needed.

Plaza ownership points to city code tied to property maintenance as an incentive to comply. Roxsen Koch of Polsinelli, which is working with Gillon on the Plaza project, said the city rules have a substantial amount of teeth, with daily fines, and it’s up to the city as to how they choose to enforce them.

“The property owner has every incentive not to incur those types of fees daily until there’s compliance,” she said.

People are able to file complaints with the city about property maintenance, which would include Plaza sidewalks.

Free speech, more than just regulation

Renia Ehrenfeucht, a professor at the University of New Mexico who has published widely about public sidewalks, spoke to The Star about some guardrails that she’d advise should be in place for sidewalk privatization.

Ehrenfeucht previously spoke publicly about the city’s Westport plan in 2017, which drew widespread debate locally and concerns from several organizations about the impact on public access and the possibility for racial profiling.

The Westport plan at the time was intended to address concerns about a rise in gun violence, and late-night weekend visitors are subject to screenings before entering certain areas of the entertainment district.

The Plaza sidewalk plan, which has major differences from Westport in intent and function, seems to be lower-profile so far. A few local groups that spoke out about Westport in 2017 did not return a request for comment from The Star about the Plaza sidewalk plan.

One business owner even suggested at the Wednesday hearing that other properties in the Plaza area might want to privatize their own sidewalks.

Much has changed since 2017. Outdoor dining spaces for private businesses on public sidewalks or streets have become more popular since the COVID-19 pandemic, while cities themselves have more explicit power to criminalize camping on public land following a 2024 Supreme Court decision.

Ehrenfeucht said sidewalk privatization should include positive affirmation for First Amendment rights. The Plaza is frequently a location for major demonstrations, including multiple “No Kings” protests against President Donald Trump’s administration.

“We see it happening right now very visibly, people take space and make it public when they need it to be public,” Ehrenfeucht said. “And that’s not going to change, but there are ways that we can affirm that that is what shared space means, and that’s what public space means.”

She also recommended collaboration with relevant organizations to make sure teenagers aren’t targeted and that there wouldn’t be de facto racial profiling of them.

Ehrenfeucht said another guardrail should be to ensure that the changes don’t just become regulation but also that the city benefits and the space serves all people.

Next steps on the Plaza

The City Council will vote on a final version of the sidewalk plan, which will lay out all conditions and exceptions, at a later date, including further public discussion.

Gillon has also sought financial incentives from Port KC and the TIF Commission. Those plans have yet to see a final vote for approval, including after pushback from Kansas City Public Schools over proposed terms that could affect the school district’s bottom line.

A zoning plan that would lay out standards for development, including possible taller buildings, also awaits final council approval.

The company took over the Plaza in 2024 and has said it seeks to invest in the historic district to add new residents and businesses to revitalize it for the years to come.

This story was originally published February 5, 2026 at 3:57 PM.