Branson/Tri-Lakes News: Morningside jumpstarts small-town Blue Eye

“We feel like it’s a plus,” said Blue Eye Mayor Jerry Kerns, noting the town’s rough development past.

He said the community suffered through 15 years of real estate propositions that fell flat – everything from an Indian casino and corporate hog farm to a streetcar manufacturer and Renaissance theme park.

“It was our time,” Kerns said of Morningside, where televangelist Jim Bakker hosts his latest show, and retail and residential components are on the way. “It seemed like the right thing to do.”

Morningside is the vision of Branson residents Jerry and Dee Crawford, who formed Morningside Development LLC and in 2005 purchased the property on Grace Chapel Road near the intersection of highways 86 and 13.

“I planned to do it for many years,” Jerry Crawford said, “but never planned to do it on this scale.”

Crawford estimates that the final cost of the development will be $40 million to $50 million. His company plans to build up to 1,800 homes and 4,000 condos and townhouses.

This flurry of construction revolves around TV evangelist Bakker and his wife, Lori, who began hosting “The Jim Bakker Show” from Morningside in February.

The show’s set is inside an Italian-theme atrium, whose building also will hold more than 100 condominiums – 16 are finished – plus restaurant and retail tenants. Businesses including Churchill’s Coffee, a beauty shop, restaurants, an ice cream parlor and a Bible book store will begin to open in mid-July, according to Morningside General Manager Charles Smith.

How it all began

The Crawfords became acquainted with Jim Bakker’s work as the founder of Heritage USA in Fort Mill, S.C., when they traveled there for a seminar that restored their marriage. However, they actually met Bakker for the first time eight years ago when Bakker came to Branson for a revival. The Bakkers moved to Branson in 2002 to broadcast from the Studio City Café, a restaurant also owned by the Crawfords.

“We brought (Bakker) to Branson and helped him get started,” Jerry Crawford said.

However, GM Smith is clear about the division between the Morningside residential community and Bakker’s ministry.

“We’ve been careful about separating the building end of it. (Bakker) is merely a tenant,” he said.

The Bakker’s move to Blue Eye started when Morningside Development approached the town’s City Council prior to starting the massive project in 2006. Morningside requested annexation and assisted Blue Eye in setting up a 1 percent sales tax.

“Blue Eye didn’t have a sales tax base until we actually came over,” Crawford added.

Kerns said the community approved both the annexation and sales tax, establishing the new tax at 7.475 cents. Most of the community’s revenue has come from franchise fee collections from Carroll County Electric Cooperative.

Smith estimates that Morningside’s staff and volunteers are nearly equal to the population of Blue Eye – about 130.

Smith said that as a goodwill gesture, Morningside will give, for a second year, each of Blue Eye High School’s graduating seniors a cash donation. The company hopes to establish a scholarship program as well.

Construction specs

Crawford has been in the construction business for 40 years. Besides the Studio City Café – which he soon plans to sell – Crawford owns Foxborough Inn and Suites in Branson. Through Western Construction, he’s also built subdivisions Creek Bridge in Ozark and Cedarbrook in Republic, as well as the Carmel Valley subdivision, Red Roof Inn and All Towne Suites in St. Roberts.

Crawford’s construction company, Western Construction LLC, is the general contractor of Morningside – by far, his largest project.

Phase I was Morningside’s infrastructure, including roads, a 300,000-gallon water tower and sewer system. Phase II, which is about 80 percent complete, includes the Italian-theme atrium, reminiscent of Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. The condos in the 200,000 square-foot enclosed building will range between $87,000 and $360,000. The four-story atrium also houses 30,000 square feet of open space and 12,000 square feet of retail and ministry support. Besides Bakker’s show, the atrium will hold Bible studies, concerts, workshops and seminars.

Others working on the development have been Edward Muckey Architecture and Rozell Engineering of Branson. Hawthorn Bank of Branson is financing the project.[[In-content Ad]]