City Club Apartments LLC, the company behind the planned $77 million redevelopment of nearly an entire block in the Crossroads Arts District, has just completed another iconic Kansas City project.
The Detroit-area developer has finished the $7 million-plus renovation of the three-tower, 214-unit Country Club Plaza apartment complex previously known as Icon on the Plaza Apartments.
The property, which includes two 10-story towers and a nine story tower at 4607-4621 Jefferson St. and 609 W. 46th St., now is known as the Plaza Club City Apartments.
The Plaza property is the company’s 10th apartment community, said Rachel Iturralde, regional sales and marketing director for City Club Apartments. The communities are in 10 cities in six states. But all have one thing in common: Each project represents a unique blend of hotel-caliber interior design and amenities and luxury urban apartment living, she said.
That blend was the vision of City Club Apartments CEO Jonathan Holtzman, who made his first investment in Kansas City in 2015 when Village Green Holding, another firm he long served as CEO, acquired the Icon on the Plaza Apartments to redevelop and reposition.
Subsequently, in June 2016, Holtzman sold his interest in Village Green’s operating subsidiaries, retained its real estate holdings and launched City Club Apartments LLC.
Beth Raquepau, who works as an interior designer for Village Green Cos., helped put the design-driven wow factor in the City Club Apartments’ projects. She worked on the interiors with BKV Group, a Minneapolis-based architecture firm hired to provide interior and exterior design.
During a recent tour, Iturralde referred to Plaza Club City Apartments' design as “bold but welcoming.”
But the look created by the mix of vibrant colors, clashing patterns and novel furnishings found in many amenity spaces also might aptly be labeled as “gingham dog and calico cat meet Peter Max.”
The site amenities include new lobbies, new finishes in corridors and elevators, a fitness center that’s been tripled in size, a two-tiered outdoor swimming area with two pools, a business center with chalkboard and dry-erase walls, a theater room with 80-inch screen, a bike storage and repair area, and a dog wash.
The project’s rooftop Sky Club is the community’s most striking amenity. With unparalleled east-, west- and south-facing Plaza views, the Sky Club includes an indoor space with gourmet kitchen, fireplace and pub-height farm-style table, plus outdoor space with a grill, fireplace, wide-screen TV, artificial turf and other interesting design materials.
Originally built in the 1950s as Dunlieth Towers, a project that catered to returning Korean War veterans, the renovated apartment towers also include fully refurbished studio through three bedroom units with features such as wood-look floors, granite counters and stainless-steel appliances, spa bathrooms with dual showerheads and walk-in closets.
Available with a choice of five kitchen finish packages, monthly rents start at $765 for a studio. Other rates range from $955 to $1,630 for a one-bedroom unit and $1,225 to $1,710 for a two-bedroom unit. A single three-bedroom plan is available for $2,820 a month.
Street parking adjacent to the project is free. Gated surface spots are $50 a month, and garage spaces are $70 a month.
Iturralde said most units at Plaza Club City Apartments feature “roommate-friendly layouts” for young professionals who want to enjoy living amid the Plaza’s many restaurant and retail venues at half the price of renting alone.
Currently, Plaza Club City Apartments is 75 percent occupied, she said. But a marketing push is expected to bring occupancy to 95 percent within a couple of months.