The Country Club Plaza, once a vibrant place of retail and entertainment, is now grappling with downturn as stores continue to shut their doors and foot traffic decreases. The consequences of this decline extend beyond just economic concerns, impacting the livelihoods of many, including the Rockhurst University students who both work and shop within its confines.
The Plaza has witnessed a distressing trend of store closures in recent years. Once filled with well-known brands and boutique shops, the area now showcases empty storefronts on every street. Most recently this list has included: Forever21, Amy’s Hallmark Shop, The North Face, Soft Surroundings and the list continues.
“Stores have been closing at a rapid pace, within a week or even days without warning,” said Ella Whitfield, a former Plaza retail employee.
These closures come after swirling rumors of a change in ownership of the Plaza. Dallas-based company, Highland Park Village, was in the conversation of becoming the new owners, although there has not been a recent update or confirmation.
Sophomore Elyssa Valles has worked in both retail and in dining for over two years on the Plaza. Many of the people she serves have also noticed these changes as well.
“Many older people have entered our restaurant and talked about how different the Plaza used to be,” Valles said.
Beyond the void in the Plaza’s shopping experience, the shutdowns have had an impact on the employees within. Many students, who take on part-time jobs to support their finances amongst other reasons, now find themselves facing likely uncertainty as job opportunities decrease.
Sophomore Braden Henley works at Ice Cream Bae on the Plaza and has noticed changes due to the closures.
“Working in the Nichols Road strip of stores, many of them are closed, which has led to less people walking down to shop. It seems like the overall number of people I see in a day has significantly slowed down, even though I might expect more people in warmer months,” Henley said.
Students are facing layoffs, reduced hours and pay cuts.
“They [The North Face] told us the store was closing on Dec. 20, a month before our closing date. It was a huge surprise, and it really devastated our team…They said that the Plaza decided to not renew our lease, but our lease didn’t end until October,” said senior Tyler Pedee, former employee at The North Face.
In addition to its role with students as employers, the Plaza has traditionally served as a favored lifestyle and entertainment destination in Kansas City. From dining options to movie theaters and specialty shops, the space originally offered a diverse array of experiences for the student population. With the movie theater closed and other shops following in its footsteps, this leaves students looking elsewhere.
“I walked into Forever21 and was greeted with ‘closing soon’ signs everywhere. There was hardly anything in the store and I found nothing,” said Valles.
The decreasing appeal of the Plaza as a shopping and entertainment center has led many students to seek alternatives, depriving the local economy of valuable shoppers.
“I would rather go to shop at the Oak Park Mall now. There are more stores open compared to the Plaza,” said sophomore Megan Venturella.
As the Plaza deals with declining traffic and store closures, the aftereffects of these challenges are felt by the student population.
“I think the store [The North Face] closing definitely impacted all of us [employees] negatively as most of us had ties into VF Corporation, the owner of North Face. I had put a lot of my efforts into the internship program that you could only get as a part of the company,” Pedee said.
From the loss of employment opportunities to the decline in shopping and entertainment options, the impact extends beyond just economic concerns. In these times of uncertainty, it is important to consider the needs and aspirations of students who both work and shop within its area, ensuring that they remain a part of the community.
