Kansas City's Plan Commission has denied a 55-acre redevelopment centered around a downtown plaza - a project that had the approval of the Planning Dept. and the local AIA Chapter, but evidently not the community.
Gunnar Hand reports that the $58 million project required an amendment to the city's plan and rezoning the neighborhood, changes the Plan Commission was not willing to make.
A group called Save the Plaza had a significant impact on the outcome:
"A coalition of activists from across the city formed the 'Save the Plaza' group soon after the initial proposal, designed by Rule Joy Trammell + Rubio of Atlanta was released last summer."
Save the Plaza's legal counsel Dan Cofran says in the article that they believe the project is too big for the Plaza.
FULL STORY: Upholding the Plan in Kansas City
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Mayors' Institute on City Design
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