Rumor Heard Today – Whole Foods May Occupy Halls Building on the Plaza
Oooh, this is some juicy gossip. We all know that Halls department store on the Plaza will be closing late summer of 2014 and transition all operations to the Halls Crown Center location, but what will go in its place? I heard through the grapevine today that Whole Foods may take the space. Considering the health food chain has many locations in walkable shopping districts around the country, this seems quite plausible. As someone who works on the Plaza, I’m pretty stoked and I hope it actually happens. Let me know if you have heard this rumor, too!
I had heard a while back that they were planning to build a store at 51st and Oak. Did that deal fall through? Anyway, the Plaza seems like a better location. If it does indeed happen I will be in grocery store heaven, with Trader Joes 6 minutes to my south and Whole Foods just 10 minutes north.
I heard about the store at 51st and Oak as well, but then I remember hearing that some of the neighbors were worried about traffic… I don’t know what is really going on; however, the person that told me about the Halls location heard through someone at the city council.
I live in Overland Park, so I’m not sure why this news excites me, but it does. I think that would be a great addition to the Plaza.
ooooh that would be so fun! I am sad to see Halls leave, I personally think it is a mistake. I heard that spot was going to open up for restoration hardware (their main office….)
I have only heard this rumor from you, on your website, which I am currently visiting and thusly learning rumors about Whole Foods. Even though I am my family’s grocery-getter, I don’t really pick up on the grocery related rumors in town. Anyway, at first I thought this sounded kind of wonderful. They do a nice job of designing store interiors, and the exterior in this case is hard to mess up. In many ways it would be a treat. But, after only a few seconds, I still felt that it would be a downgrade of the Plaza’s brand.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve never thought of Whole Foods as anything but high brow—and it wouldn’t be the first downgrade of the Plaza’s brand, either. But the Hall’s location epitomizes the Plaza and its history for me. It would be a blow to history, or (selfishly) at least mine. That’s where my mom took me to shop when I didn’t want to shop. That’s where my mom’s mom took me to shop when I didn’t want to shop. I can remember clearly, entire days based on a kind of agreement between me and my grandma. We’ll spend two hours at Halls, and then we’ll spend two hours at the Nelson. Everyone’s happy. My grandma was an artist, so perhaps she was the happiest. I’ll never forget the warm, dusty, classic Kansas City aesthetic of both experiences. These days were the very origin of my understandings of art, class, and leisure. It was OK for a small boy to see the beheaded head of David, because it was art. It was OK for a small boy to get one very expensive chocolate, because it was Hall’s. These days were also the origin of my understanding of Kansas City. The Plaza and the Nelson were what we came in for.
I am almost always embracing change, but in truth the only store that I feel will ever be appropriate in that location is Hall’s, or a store that stays there long enough to appropriate the air of longstanding quality and delight that I speak of. Whole Foods, which often offers a classy and delightful experience, has only done so—for me—from locations with vast parking lots that present an array of logos (Bed Bath & Beyond anyone?) broadcast to my eyes at the most noticeable height. They are the healthy, strapping young Nebraskan boy of the non-walkable strip-mall era. Whole Foods is among the finer spawn of this strange period in retail of kind-of-classy, “good enough” design.
I applaud their desire to apparently upgrade that image with me. If they do it, my feeling toward Whole Foods will probably improve as my feelings toward the Plaza lean toward disappointment. Places are very important to me, and these especially. I love giving tours of the Nelson, always complete with a felt line at the beginning or the end, “This is where I was introduced to art.” But I loathe the notion that someday I’ll be in a Whole Foods with someone (probably myself), and I’ll think to note, “this is where I learned about shopping.”
Also, I can’t imagine they would want a location with so much (relative) congestion. Wishful thinking, I suppose.
I just can’t imagine a Whole Foods there. Of course there was a grocery store where Brooks Brothers is now, Woolworth’s where Burberrys is and a Sears Farm Store where the J Crew area is. I think my memory is right about locations. It would be great to have another department store. I pretty much just have to shop on line now.
I have not heard this rumor until visiting your website (this is my first time, by the way).
I think a grocery store in the Plaza area is something that’s been needed for a long time; however, I just can’t imagine Whole Foods locating where Halls is. I mean, really? A Whole Foods near expensive stores like Tivol, St. John, Michael Kors, kate spade new york, Tiffany & Co., Burberry, etc. makes me cringe.
The one rumor I’ve heard that carries some weight is that Restoration Hardware has expressed interest in the space in order to create a regional flagship location. Not totally sold on that idea but I’d prefer it to Whole Foods.
Personally, I’d LOVE to see Nordstrom or Neiman Marcus move in, or have the space broken up into multiple, more fitting retailers (Louis Vuitton–it’s about time we got one).