YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
Last edited 4:30 p.m., Sept. 12, 2019
Point Lookout-based College of the Ozarks approached Springfield City Council on Sept. 9 to rezone property it owns in the Queen City with the intention of selling it.
The school owns vacant land south of the former Price Cutter store at 1720 W. Grand St. totaling 3.17 acres southeast of Grand Street and Kansas Expressway.
The rezoning request covers two single-family residential parcels making up a strip of land south of the store, said Dane Seiler, president of CJW Transportation Consultants LLC, who represented College of the Ozarks in the application. He said the rezoning requests to general retail and low-density multifamily would create three separate lots, though College of the Ozarks has no current plans to develop the property.
“Two of them will be general retail lots,” Seiler told council. “One of those general retail lots is the former Price Cutter building and then a piece of this general retail that we’re asking to be rezoned.”
Reached after the council meeting, College of the Ozarks Public Relations Director Valorie Coleman said the college plans to sell the property. Coleman said via email 12 acres at the corner was bequeathed to College of the Ozarks in 2012, but the donation didn’t include the former Price Cutter building. She declined to disclose donor information.
According to the Greene County assessor records, Walter Vinton previously owned the acreage before the college.
The former Price Cutter store had been marketed for sale at $3 million, though a listing by Jared Commercial Real Estate LLC does not currently appear to be active on LoopNet.com. The listing does not appear on Jared Commercial’s website, and company officials could not be reached by press time. However, on Crexi.com, Jared Commercial has the property listed for the same price.
A sign for Thessing Commercial Realty LLC agent Brad Thessing sits on the vacant land to the south, though the property is not listed on LoopNet.com. He could not be reached for comment.
Seiler told council there’s a prospective user for one of the lots.
Councilman Mike Schilling asked about the property’s tax status since it is owned by a higher education institution.
“I would assume if they’re using it for a college purpose, they’re going to be exempt, but I don’t know for sure if this one is,” said Springfield Planning and Development Director Mary Lilly Smith, also noting a traffic study would be required.
Coleman said Price Cutter is paying taxes to the city on the property as the company still owns the building.
Council is scheduled to vote on the rezoning bills Sept. 23.
Guest columnist Donnie Brawner says many entrepreneurs stray from their original business ventures, which is often a recipe for success.
