Tuileries Plaza

Several years ago, few people would have looked at the 50 acres located a half mile west of I-29 on 64th Street and imagined that it would look the way it does today. The brush-filled, rocky terrain the may not have caught the eye of someone interested in developing a retail center.

That was not the case with George and Pam Gunter, the couple who envisioned the site as the future home of Tuileries Plaza. Development began in 2003 with over a year devoted to site work involving the removal of brush, trees, and large amounts of rock. This was just to have the ground level and ready to grade, which was necessary before any buildings could be constructed. Then, another nine months was needed to complete the first buildings. All together, it took about two years from when the construction started to the opening of the first business in 2005. With brick paved streets, rock waterfalls, and slated building rooftops, this area has a very different image now.

George gives credit to his wife, Pam, for the inspiration behind the Tuileries theme.

“We started out with a couple hundred names and keep whittling it down until we came to about twenty or thirty. Then, Pam kind of took us down the path towards Tuileries, a European development.”

With the European architecture and designs of the historic Tuileries Garden in Paris coming to mind, the theme was chosen.

“We like the old timeless look of the buildings and paved streets,” Pam goes on to say.

All of the buildings in Tuileries Plaza are consistent with a European, Old World design with the exteriors featuring either brick or stone veneer. With a unique style, the Gunters also wanted to offer a variety of businesses and shops for consumers to choose from. You will find many locally-owned small businesses such as Em Chamas Brazilian Grill, La-De-Da Fine Furnishings, along with new tenants Fringe Salon and All Star Pizza & Pub. Although a national chain, the Bonefish Grill is one of two locations in the Kansas City area, but the only one in Missouri.

The plaza also features many of the same kind of tenants you see at other shopping centers. Many of these tenants include Quizno’s, Scottrade, SportsClips, and a non-traditionally designed Taco Bell. Since Taco Bell’s standard building design didn’t fit the Tuileries theme, a deal was made so that the exterior matched the rest of the buildings.

“They came to us and wanted to put a location here, so we had to compromise between their standard retail look and something more compatible with our development,” George says.

You also can’t forget about the Haagen Dazs, which at the time it first opened for business was the only Haagen Dazs with a drive-thru window in the entire country.

Tuileries offers a free summer concert series in the courtyard on Thursday nights where people bring their own lawn chairs. The concert series features local artists and bands that vary in music genre. Jazz icon Ida McBeth kicked off the concert series this year on June 11th. Most recently, Private Stock offered an exciting array of classic music hits from the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s. Both young and old can come enjoy a cool, relaxing evening, with the shade from the buildings reaching the courtyard as if on cue for show time. An occasional Congo line or slow dance is sure to add to the entertainment.

With the concert series in mind, the courtyard was designed to provide a relaxing atmosphere. It provides a more intimate setting for smaller crowds and performances. With the expansion of future events in mind, the stone parking lot adjacent to the courtyard can serve as a venue for larger concerts to accommodate bigger crowds. In fact, it will be used to conclude the summer concert series in August, as The Elder’s perform in the series finale on August 13th. Although, Tuileries calendar includes events throughout the year, the concert series is quickly becoming a local favorite.

Yes, George and Pam Gunter have taken Tuileries Plaza a long ways in the past five years. From a brush-filled, rocky piece of land to a European inspired retail development, with a mix of tenants sure to attract consumers of all kinds.

When asked what makes Tuileries stand out from other retail destinations in the area, George said “Everyone thinks they have unique tenants and we believe that too, but I think it’s the look of the buildings and being able to walk on the brick streets and sideways that gives someone a unique feeling about being here.”