Kansas Citians proved they care about the Plaza — and deserve a voice | Opinion

There was something genuinely moving about the turnout at this week’s PortKC hearing on the proposed Country Club Plaza tax incentive package. Watching neighbors raise their virtual hands to speak — some nervous, some polished, all sincere — was a reminder of why community involvement still matters in Kansas City. For those of us who spend time advocating for our neighborhoods, moments like that somehow make all the hard work worthwhile.

Despite repeated claims that opposition to the proposal was driven by misinformation or confusion, what unfolded was anything but that. People came prepared. They asked thoughtful questions. They spoke clearly about trade-offs, fairness and consequences. Residents from across the city took time out of their day to participate in a process that often feels opaque or pre-decided, and they did so respectfully, out of genuine concern, and with purpose.

The message that emerged was consistent: The proposed incentive package feels too big and too broad, especially when weighed against its impact on the rest of the city. Speaker after speaker acknowledged that development and reinvestment can be positive forces — but they also understood that when property taxes are diverted or reduced, the burden doesn’t vanish. It shifts. And too often, our schools and libraries are the ones left holding the bag.

That level of engagement was all the more notable given how the hearing itself was scheduled. PortKC convened a special meeting on a Monday immediately before a holiday week, with the agenda posted just days in advance and little opportunity for the public to review materials ahead of time, as no supporting materials were made available in advance of the meeting. Whether intentional or not, that timing made meaningful public participation harder — yet people showed up anyway.

That public response was even more striking given the structure of PortKC itself. The PortKC commission is unelected and operates largely outside the everyday visibility of City Hall. Its decisions don’t appear on ballots. And commissioners don’t campaign door-to-door or answer directly to voters at the ballot box. Yet residents showed up anyway — not because the process invited them in, but because they felt compelled to make their voices heard, even when the levers of power feel distant.

Context matters here as well. The current ownership of the Country Club Plaza came into place after years of financial strain. In 2023, the previous owners defaulted on a nearly $300 million loan tied to the property, and in 2024 the Plaza sold for roughly $175.6 million — a steep drop from the approximately $660 million paid just eight years earlier. That history doesn’t tell us what decisions should be made today, but it does matter when claims of financial necessity are used to justify large public concessions.

Kansas City loves the Country Club Plaza. It brings back fond memories for some and, for others, represents a shared civic landmark woven into everyday life. The turnout for the PortKC hearing wasn’t driven by nostalgia or, as some might suggest, resistance to change. It reflected something more grounded: a desire for fairness and a belief that public investment comes with public responsibility. When public funding mechanisms hinge on private valuation decisions made behind closed doors, skepticism is not hostility — it is self-defense.

Public-private partnerships like those PortKC is charged with fostering are not inherently unsound public policy. In fact, when done right, they can be quite the opposite. Projects such as Denver’s Union Station redevelopment are often cited as examples of how transparency, shared risk and clearly defined public benefit can deliver lasting civic value. Many of the Kansas Citians who spoke at the PortKC hearing understand that fact. The Plaza’s new owners clearly have significant work ahead of them, and nothing about the virtual hearing suggested that anyone was rooting for failure. What people are asking for is not the abandonment of partnership, but balance, clarity and fairness. There is real middle ground here, and finding it begins with listening to the public that ultimately funds these deals.

In a moment when cynicism about civic processes runs high, that hearing offered a reminder that local democracy still has a pulse. Kansas Citians are paying attention. They’re reading the fine print. And they expect transparency when public money is involved. That message was directed not only at PortKC, but at the new ownership of the Plaza as well. The public has spoken clearly, and what remains to be seen is whether those with the power to decide — and those seeking public partnership — are willing to listen and deliver the transparency being asked for.

Matt Fuoco is treasurer of the Plaza Westport Neighborhood Association. He lives in Kansas City.

This story was originally published December 24, 2025 at 10:35 AM.