The development proposal has inspired a sizeable reaction from the community. Joy Swallow, chairwoman of the department of architecture, urban planning and design at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, is quoted in the Kansas City Star article. She "criticized the plan and said the proposed building looked like it belonged in a suburban office park.
'I am horrified,' she said. 'The Plaza is a collection of buildings that define a place. When you start tearing down a piece that makes it special, you really have a problem.'"