New doc Nichols’ Folly will explore the history and future of the Country Club Plaza in premiere Nov. 9

Screencap from Nichols’ Folly: A Century of the Country Club Plaza

Kansas City PBS and its digital journalism platform, Flatland, will premiere Nichols’ Folly: A Century of the Country Club Plaza on Thurs., Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. 

Created by Kansas City PBS’ Emmy Award-winning multimedia producer Emma Woodring, the documentary will examine the controversial history of the Country Club Plaza since its inception 100 years ago when its developer J.C. Nichols first announced his plans for a Spanish-themed outdoor suburban shopping district—plans that were labeled “Nichols’ Folly” by some skeptics, hence the documentary’s title. However, it was the first of its kind and shaped developments both around Kansas City and all over the nation, and it remains an important KC landmark.

“It’s important to explore the history of the Plaza because of the historic role it has played both in Kansas City and nationwide,” says Woodring. “It’s been here for 100 years, so the area has changed a lot, and the way Kansas Citians view the Plaza has changed too.”

The documentary also comes amid the Plaza’s impending sale to a Dallas-based retail company in the wake of its decline under the ownership of out-of-state companies The Macerich Company and Taubman Centers. With rising violent crime and many stores vacating in recent years, the Plaza isn’t the hotspot it once was, especially after several businesses were demolished in preparation for a Nordstrom store that ultimately didn’t materialize after Nordstrom backed out of the deal. 

The documentary will wrestle with questions regarding the Plaza’s future and discuss its messy legacy.