Three of a kind

Matt Miller may be one of the most recognizable names in Springfield real estate and development. It doesn’t hurt that there are three men with that name working in the same field.
Business partners Matt Miller and Matthew Miller said they had an established working relationship with Murney Associates Realtor John Schnoebelen when he called to say that he had hired a new agent.
“We said, ‘That’s great, you needed somebody.’ And he said, ‘Yeah, but you’re not going to believe what his name is,’” Matt Miller said.
The new agent’s name, as it turns out, is Matt M. Miller.
The shared name may be amusing to some and confusing to others, but the three men are very different in looks and manner.
To the media and contractors and suppliers, the business partners call themselves Matt Miller and Matthew Miller.
Matt Miller and Matthew Miller operate business under several names, including The Matt Miller Co. (which is owned by the two), and Recess Properties (in which Jeff Schrag is also a partner).
“From our perspective, we are so different in our mannerisms, our presentation, in our voices, our attitude – just the way that we are – people generally know who they’re dealing with, whether it’s on the phone, or in an e-mail, a letter,” said Matt Miller, the taller of the business partners.
Realtor Matt M. Miller works with John Schnoebelen at Murney Associates; both focus on commercial real estate.
Because of his partnership with Schnoebelen, Matt M. Miller’s client base includes Matt Miller and Matthew Miller. The pair has helped him to see firsthand how a successful business model operates, he said.
Matt Miller and Matthew Miller are pleased with their relationship with Matt M. Miller as well.
“He and John complement each other very well. Matt’s smart, he’s a hard worker, he’s on the street, and he’s helped our company out tremendously,” Matthew Miller said.
Matt Miller and Matthew Miller are firmly entrenched in their roles as real estate developers. Both continue to work on individual projects as well as joint ventures.
Beyond his partnership with Matthew Miller and Schrag, Matt Miller also has independent investments and shares ownership of Miller-O’Reilly Construction with Pat O’Reilly. A breakdown of Matt Miller’s holdings, which includes houses, duplexes, apartments and commercial, retail and office space, would lean more towards residential properties than commercial, he said.
Matthew Miller’s total investments are fairly evenly spilt between commercial and residential, he said.
A recent partnership with attorney Aaron Jones and retired accountant Ron Neville to purchase the 300 Park Central West building from Gary Waldrop is Matt M. Miller’s first venture as a commercial property owner. He declined to disclose the purchase price.
But the purchase of the approximately 3,000-square-foot building that houses the hair salon, The Groove, hasn’t taken Matt M. Miller’s focus off of his real estate career. He has no intention of becoming involved in development or renovation.
“Because of my job, my primary responsibility is to find good buys for my clients. If I came across something my clients can’t or won’t buy, I may be interested, but that isn’t the focus,” Matt M. Miller said.

Downtown development
All three have a vested interest in the redevelopment of downtown. Both Matt Miller and Matt M. Miller noted that of the three, Matthew Miller has been involved in the Center City resurgence longest. Both used the word “pioneer” to describe his early ventures.
“He’s one of the original pioneers of the whole downtown movement; he’s one of the ones who had that original vision. He still has a vision for what it’s going to look like 10–15 years from now,” Matt M. Miller said.
“(Matthew) won’t say this about himself, but he was truly one of the first ones that opened a restaurant down here, he ran a business down here, in a downtown that looked like East Berlin at the time,” Matt Miller said.
Thirteen years ago, Matthew Miller purchased the building at 305–307 South Ave., and with partner Mary Faucett, opened Nonna’s restaurant and The Bar Next Door.
He went on to found the Downtown Dining and Entertainment Commission.
“I was a real estate investor who came down here after the market began to take off. That’s one of the catalysts of our partnership – that (Matthew) has true downtown roots, true downtown experience,” Matt Miller said.
Matt Miller and Matthew Miller met through mutual friends. Their first project together was the historic renovation of the 20,000-square-foot McDaniel School House at 237 S. Florence, which now houses Bryan College.
Currently, the partners are putting the finishing touches on the renovation of the 40,000-square-foot Mulhollan Furniture building at 331 E. Water St. The three-story structure will have 33 modern loft apartments, each with its own unique layout, colors and design elements. A 1,500-square-foot retail space with additional warehouse space in the basement is located on the first floor. There is also one live/work space. The building is scheduled to be complete within the next 60 days, Matt Miller said.
“That building was a major retail store in a downtown that was very vibrant for so long … Matt and I are fortunate enough to be part of that revitalization,” Matthew Miller said.

Next on the list
Matt Miller’s and Matthew Miller’s pet project right now is the 100,000-square-foot Wilhoit Plaza on Pershing Street, which is expected to cost $10 million and be completed in 2007, Matt Miller said.
“It is a working, dining, shopping, living destination. It will be the first of its kind,” Matt Miller said.
“It stays in the tradition of what we think makes downtown unique: the fact that it’s a walkable community,” Matthew Miller said.
Tenants have already expressed interest, Matt Miller said.
He stated confidentiality agreements as the reason he declined to disclose the names of interested parties.
Approximately 30 percent of the building has been vouched for, Matt Miller said.
“What makes this property unique compared to some of the other big developments that are happening downtown is that we’re actually offering the opportunity to condo out some of the bottom floor. Some have signed a letter of intent to lease, some have signed a letter of intent to purchase,” Matthew Miller said.
While Matt M. Miller and Schnoeblen focus on commercial real estate throughout Springfield, his work with clients and Matt M. Miller’s recent property acquisition provide a lot of work for him downtown.
“It’s a fun place to spend time when I’m not working, but to be a part of its growth as well is exciting,” Matt M. Miller said.

The new kid
Surprisingly, the shared name has caused very little confusion and may even be a benefit to Matt M. Miller.
“I have found that when I’ve cold-called somebody on a property, they’re real eager to set up a meeting because they think they’re meeting with the other Matts. Then I walk in and see their faces drop, and I know they’re thinking, ‘Who is this clown?’ That’s happened on a couple of occasions,” Matt M. Miller said.
He describes his relationship with Matt Miller and Matthew Miller as good.
“They pick on me, they tease me – no, it’s good,” Matt M. Miller said. “What are the chances that three people, all with the same name, would be all involved in a centralized location in a town like Springfield? It’s really a crazy coincidence. But I’ve got great relationships with both those guys. I like them a lot, I consider them friends. And it’s nice when you can do business with friends.”
True to Matt M. Miller’s description of their relationships, Matt and Matthew had a little fun when asked about him.
“He just showed up one day,” Matt Miller said.
“In fact, was it the stork that brought him, or the cabbage patch?” Matthew Miller added.
“He’s like mini-Matt. He’s the new kid,” Matt Miller continued.
“He’s the new kid, but he’s better looking, a better athlete,” Matthew Miller said.
“And we’re very angry about it. And his future’s a lot brighter than both of ours. He’s 26 years old and he’s right in the middle of the game,” Matt Miller said.
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