ADI designs future in downtown area

Andrea Deckard of A. Deckard Interiors LLC is the latest entrepreneur to announce renovation plans in downtown Springfield.

Deckard is transforming 306 S. Campbell Ave., near the corner of Campbell Avenue and McDaniel Street, into office space for her 1-month-old interior design firm.

"I have felt for a long time that the downtown area is on its way back, and I wanted to be able to get in and be a part of that before it was completely renovated and (I) couldn't afford to be down there," Deckard said.

MAD Enterprises LLC, an entity that she co-owns with her husband, Brian, purchased the building in January for an undisclosed amount. Other members of the purchasing group are Michael and Martha Merrell, and Jeff and Allison Merrell.

The Realtor was Sam Freeman of Center City Development.

"It was our intention to buy into a building that needed attention and try to be part of the process of renovating the downtown area and breathing new life in," Deckard said.

Renovations will begin within a month, she added, and her firm should move in by the end of summer. Nesbitt Construction Co. is the general contractor and Esterly, Schneider & Associates Inc. is the architect. Total renovation costs have not been determined, she said.

A warm welcome

Parkie Gleason, owner of Parkie's Stained Glass, located next door to Deckard's building, is glad to have a new neighbor. However, it may not be for very long Gleason has his building up for sale.

"I won't be here too long, but that's just a perfect addition to the neighborhood," Gleason said.

Businesses such as interior design firms and stained glass shops, he said, don't need to be in a heavy traffic area to be successful.

"There are certain things that when somebody wants you, they're going to look you up," he said. "You don't have to be on Battlefield, or in a high-profile, expensive area. These buildings down here certainly do have a very high value for what you can still buy them for."

Gleason is asking $650,000 for his building. He said, however, that an architect looking to buy the building told him it would cost about $2.4 million to build it the same way today.

The layout

Deckard's two-story building comprises about 4,400 square feet. Deckard plans to use the first floor for her company and eventually create loft apartments upstairs.

"I need to get my business in on the first floor, and then we can start to think about other things," she said. "That's the real push right now."

The key for Deckard is to retain as much of the original building as possible.

It has an original tin ceiling, which she thinks is "one if the best features of the building and we're maintaining that." She also plans to leave some brick exposed inside and tuck-point all exterior brick "to bring it back to its original state." A new storefront with windows will be added.

The long, narrow building will have an open office feel, she said. A receptionists desk will be located at the entry with partial-height glass walls behind it "to visually break up some of the space."

A work area in back will include a library, bookshelves for samples, and a worktable and workstations. Another feature she likes is its mezzanine level in back, which will be maintained for a private work area/conference room.

What one might think is an interior designer's dream has not been as easy as Deckard first thought.

"I'm having a lot of fun with it, but it's much more complicated to design for yourself," she said. "I have so many ideas, and so many thoughts and directions that I could go it's challenging to narrow that down and really find something that I think will be a good, timeless design."

In contrast, client designs are based on their needs, and they select from just a couple options, she said.

Deckard was a principal of Austin-Deckard Interiors in Nixa until her partnership with Barbara Austin dissolved in April. Wasting no time, she started her own firm April 15 and employs two at her temporary office in the McDaniel Building.

She plans to hire a part-time employee after moving into her new facility.

"I'm very interested in growing but I also want to be very conscientious and do it slowly and carefully," Deckard said.

The firm focuses on commercial design in health care, hospitality, financial institutions and higher education. She has done work in Springfield and the surrounding areas, as well as Mountain Grove, Rolla and Monett.