Dallas, TX
Dallas investors plan to restore historic shopping center
At four times the size of Highland Park Village, there’s nothing small about the idea of turning around and tuning up Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza.
As of Friday morning, Ray Washburne, president of HP Village Management, planned to have power washers cleaning the grounds of the shopping and office center built more than 100 years ago.
An affiliate of HP Village Management officially closed on the Kansas City property with 970,000 square feet of commercial space spread across 15 blocks on June 28.
Country Club Plaza’s notoriety in the real estate community is that it was one of the first planned suburban shopping centers to accommodate shoppers arriving by car.
In the Midwest, it has served as a destination for out-of-town and out-of-state shoppers, much like Highland Park Village has, through the years, according to Washburne.
The opportunity to purchase the aging property was first brought to Washburne when he was speaking at an Urban Land Institute conference last May. Someone from investment manager Nuveen, coincidentally the lender on Highland Park Village, asked him if he’d be interested in another big project.
More than $100 million was spent on the updates to Highland Park Village. Washburne said that much more than $100 million will be spent on the Missouri complex, with Nuveen remaining involved.
Given Country Club Plaza’s size, it’s been envisaged into separate districts with a contemporary fashion district, a food and beverage district, and a luxury and designer district.
It’s similar to the retail balance that’s been struck between Dallas’ Knox Street, with which an affiliate of HP Village Management has also been involved, and Highland Park Village, Washburne said.
Currently, there are Tiffany & Co. and Coach stores at Country Club Plaza, but Washburne said there have been conversations with a lot of luxury retailers.
“They’ve seen what we’ve done [with Highland Park Village], and that’s very important,” he said. “There’s a trust factor with the tenants as there is a trust factor that they come in and they’re going to be in with someone who’s taking a long-term approach. We’re not going to put lipstick on it, paint a few storefronts, put a couple tenants in and sell it.”
Washburne said the first priority is security.
“We spend four times as much on security in the Village than they do, and they’re four times the size we are,” said Washburne.
Kansas City, like the Dallas area, has been tapped as a site for FIFA World Cup games in 2026, including a quarterfinal.
It’s a milestone that makes improvements at Country Club Plaza all-the-more critical without forgoing a sense of place.
“The pixie dust on this stuff is really creating an authenticity and uniqueness to the center. What we did at the Village is lead with a food and beverage scene that’s local. Second, you also have to have a number of local retailers,” said Washburne.
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Multiple Kansas City architects have been engaged to help with an updated master plan for the Edward Delk-design buildings. Baroque revival and Moorish revival styles were utilized to mimic the architecture of one of Kansas City’s sister cities, Seville, Spain.
Leasing efforts are being led by Stephen Summers, whose family co-owns HP Village Management.
The launch of Dallas’s new “Dallas Go” water billing system has sparked widespread frustration, overwhelming the city’s 311 lines with 35-minute wait times due to confusing account features, unexpected convenience fees, and massive billing errors.
Kurt: The situation does seem a bit odd, doesn’t it? How often is a first-round pick seemingly overlooked? But because the fanfare surrounding Downs has been so overwhelming, Lawrence has sort of gone about his business under the radar.
We fully expect the former to step in at safety and be an impact player. Of course, he will. But what about the latter?
Well, Lawrence indeed should be a starter in 2026 as well. In today’s NFL, teams don’t use that kind of draft capital on players they hope to develop. They are looking for studs who can make their presence known right away despite their lack of professional experience. Meaning, the Cowboys want, or more importantly need, the Central Florida product to contribute from the get-go.
What will be interesting to see at training camp is whether Lawrence will be lining up on the edge when the first-teamers take the field. On our Hangin’ With the Boys podcast, Nate Newton has repeatedly said that first-round picks need to get first-team reps immediately. None of this ramping up or giving courtesy to the veterans. You drafted him in the first round, you expect him to play like a first-rounder, so the more reps he gets in practice, the better.
Regardless, he may be in the perfect situation. Most of the pressure that comes with that draft status will likely fall on the shoulders of Downs, which will allow Lawrence to keep doing his thing without the added glare of the spotlight.
Still, he’s a first-round pick. He’s got to produce. Now.
Fans of Japan’s national team have captured and warmed hearts, though it had nothing to do with the match against the Netherlands and everything to do with what happened when it was over.
When the Japan vs. Netherlands FIFA World Cup match ended, many fans headed for the exits, but Japanese fans reached for trash bags instead.
Viral cleanup effort captures global attention
The now viral photos show hundreds of Japanese fans cleaning up their section of Dallas Stadium. Trash bags in hand, they picked up cups, wrappers and anything left behind.
The Japanese men’s team even left their locker room spotless. No one asked them to do it.
“It’s kind of a habit or natural, I guess,” said Nina Shimaguchi, with the Japan American Society of Dallas-Fort Worth.
Shimaguchi wasn’t surprised. The value of cleaning up is a sign of respect and the habit starts young.
“The Japanese education system, we don’t have custodians from elementary to high school, so we have to take care of hallways, restrooms,” she said.
But for many, it goes beyond being tidy. Shimaguchi says it’s tied to what’s called “Shintoism” and the belief that everyday things carry meaning.
“Shintoism is rooted in Japan, where we think all natural items have a spirit, like a tree, stones,” Shimaguchi said. “Which go into all our daily items as well … There is a saying that one rice grain has seven spirits in it…”
Outside Dallas Stadium, thousands of Dutch fans added to the World Cup energy, chanting and celebrating long after the final whistle.
Team Japan leaves lasting impression on and off the field
But in the silence, a simple act of cleaning up is sparking millions of views and a bigger conversation about culture, curiosity and kindness.
“Through the game, probably many people see, ‘Oh that’s the culture,’” said Shimaguchi. “And that’s the next step of people trying to learn, trying to know…That kind of positivity remains.”
Kindness above all else.
Team Japan plays a game this Saturday in Mexico and then returns to Dallas Stadium in 10 days to play against Sweden. And if history is any indication, they’ll do what they did before: leave the stadium spotless. Maybe even inspiring a few others to do the same.
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