Artist couple buys former C-Street flea market building

An artist couple has acquired a recently vacated flea market building on Commercial Street.

Photographer Randy Bacon said he and his wife, Heidi Herrman, a contemporary artist and apparel designer, closed this month on the purchase of the over 5,100-square-foot building at 208 E. Commercial St. for undisclosed terms. The building was previously home to MJ's Antiques and Collectibles, a flea market concept that long operated at the spot before closing in summer 2024.

"We are excited to restore her to a much more beautiful space and hopefully get more interest and investment on C-Street," Bacon said via email. "It is such a unique, lovely street. We truly believe in its future and that Commercial Street can be a much more vibrant, cool destination (with more art)."

Bacon and Herrman, who currently operate their businesses in leased space at 209 W. Commercial St., are planning to occupy their new building this summer.

Bacon said the approximately 2,700-square-foot first floor would be converted into two artist studios and an art gallery.

"For the upstairs, we are really taking the plunge. We are selling our south-side residence in Brentwood South and moving to C-Street. We are going all in," he said. "We are doing a full renovation of both the first and second floors."

Bacon declined to estimate the couple's planned investment in the renovations.

In closing the store last year, MJ's Antiques and Collectibles said the building was selling, with Randy Ebrite listed as the property owner in online records, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting.

A warranty deed on file with the Greene County assessor shows Ebrite sold the building on Feb. 14 to Together Together LLC, an entity owned by Bacon and Herrman.

The plans by Bacon and Herrman were first reported by the Springfield Daily Citizen.