Carnahan Evans to move in October

After more than 20 years in the same location, the Spring-field law firm of Carnahan Evans Cantwell & Brown PC is on the move.

Now located in Suite 410 in Building Four at Corporate Center, 1949 E. Sunshine, the firm will move to a brand new building now under construction at 2805 S. Ingram Mill Road.

Larry Lipscomb, a Realtor with Jim Hutcheson Realtors Inc., is the developer on this project. He said the new building will be on a plot that's just over one acre in size.

"The firm is on land that's part of a 60-acre tract immediately south of Glendale High School," Lipscomb said. "I've had the land for several years, but I didn't aggressively try to sell it. This is the first building in this area. I'll find more tenants I can build to suite for or sell some of the land."

Project progress

According to Morris Dock, owner of MoDoCo, general contractor on the project, the building should be ready for occupancy Oct. 15.

"The site has been cleared and the foundation has been poured," he said. The next step is to dig out the basement.

The architect on the project is Alan Bates of Alan L. Bates Architects.

According to Rodney Nichols, an attorney for Carnahan Evans Cantwell & Brown PC and chairman of the firm's marketing committee, the firm's present is approximately 7,700 square feet. The new, brick-exterior building will be about 12,000 square feet with a 3,000-square-foot basement for storage.

Nichols said the firm has grown as much as it can at its existing location. Today, the firm has 14 attorneys as well as an office staff of 22.

"We've been out of space for the last two years," Nichols said.

Dock said he had been trying to find a site for Carnahan, Evans, Cantwell & Brown for several years.

Brad Cantwell, managing director, said the firm has really wavered on whether it should own its own building or lease one.

"We finally decided to rent," he said. "We're very excited about moving because we need more space and more conference rooms."

The current location has three conference rooms, and the new building will have six.

The firm's office manager, Deana Duncan, said she's looking forward to being in the new building because the clients can park right outside the door.

Another advantage of the new building is the location, according to Duncan.

"We're going to be on the southeast side of the city," she said. "There will be easy access to the building from Highway 65 and Battlefield."

Nichols said another reason for the move is that the owner of Corporate Centre, American National Property & Casualty, needs the space itself.

Carnahan Evans Cantwell & Brown first opened its doors in the Plaza Towers, 1736 E. Sunshine, in 1979 as John M. Carnahan III PC. The owners were John Carnahan Jr. and his son John M. Carnahan, III. After a year at the Plaza Towers, the firm moved to a little house at 1415 E. Sunshine that had been converted into offices. After working out of this location for a year and a half, the firm moved to the Corporate Centre in 1981.

Cantwell became a shareholder in 1986. Carnahan Jr.'s son, Frank, joined the firm as an associate that same year.

William Evans joined the firm in 1981 and Cliff Brown joined the firm in 1987.

Carnahan III said the firm is a business law firm with emphasis in tax estate planning, employee benefits, commercial litigation, environmental law, probate, real estate, banking, franchise and securities law.