Parking is free on the upscale shopping district, which was one of the country's first outdoor shopping areas to accommodate automobiles as well as pedestrians. However, Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership, owner of the Country Club Plaza, is set to ask city, county and state officials to create a taxing district that would allow the company to collect the half-cent sales tax for up to 20 years.

The company wants to use the funds to pay for a $14-million parking structure on the southeast corner of 47th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue and for improvements to at least eight other parking garages.

Highwoods company officials estimated the special tax could generate as much as $1 million yearly, but Plaza sales estimates show that the tax could easily bring in double that amount. Highwoods officials maintain the revenues would still be less than half of the money that the company is putting into public improvements on the Plaza.

A company spokesperson said that the Plaza's parking project to date was about $80 million. Also, an additional $165 million had been spent by the company for the new Valencia Place office building and the renovated Seville Square, which houses a movie theatre and restaurants.

The additional sales tax would raise the tax in Plaza stores from 6.6% to 7.1%. According to state statutes, a special tax district can only be developed if the property owners within the district agree. In this case, the owners are Highwoods, the Kansas City Tax Increment Financing Commission and Saks Fifth Avenue Inc. The petition is under review by the TIF commission and could go to Jackson County Circuit Court in the next few weeks. Three years ago, the city approved a TIF plan to help pay for some of the garages that are also included in this proposal

Instant Insights /

Majority Owner of Country Club Plaza Seeks New Sales Tax

Related Stories

Recommended For You