Center City Scenes: Downtown revitalization still hangs on Heer's

The Garden Room at Heer's department store has been replaced by Flame, Bijan's and Gallery Bistro. The latest women's fashions are now at Staxx, Indie and Envy. Hammons Tower stands taller.

In spite of closing its doors 15 years ago, the Heer's building still remains the icon of downtown for generations of Springfieldians.

The first question asked at any public presentation on Center City is, "So, what's happening with Heer's?"

The preoccupation with the department store rebuilt in 1915, two years after a fire on the northwest corner of Springfield's Public Square nearly destroyed the store, is due to at least three factors.

First and foremost, it elicits emotional memories for the thousands of customers who fondly recall the Russell Stover's counter, the escalators, the toy department in the basement, the elevator operators and storefront windows decorated for the holidays. Second, it is a mammoth footprint - 140,000 square feet - at a prominent location with great architectural "bones." Third, it was the last holdout of the major department stores in the 1970s migration to suburban shopping malls.

Back on track

Heer's owner Kevin McGowan recently announced an invitation from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for an $11.8 million loan guaranty. It is the key piece to securing financing for the more than $20 million project.

State and federal historic tax credits, local incentives, and private equity will complete the remainder of the funding.

Loft apartments will be the predominant use of the building with 61 units. Mike Shannon's Steaks and Seafood is still featured on the first floor with its sidewalk café on the square, along with an upscale bowling alley (similar to Lucky Strike at the Power & Light District in Kansas City and the Flamingo Bowl on Washington Avenue in St. Louis). Construction is scheduled to begin in spring 2010 and is projected to be completed in 12 months.

Downtown stimulus

After the dust settles from one of downtown's largest renovations, the Heer's project will bring the ongoing dividend of more than 100 residents and dozens of new jobs for servers, cooks, security, maintenance and managers.

These new urbanites will dine at the sidewalk cafés, purchase clothes, get their hair cut and go to the movies.

The increased activity will make Park Central Square much more vibrant with inviting storefront windows, residents riding their bikes to Jordan Valley Park, and customers bringing friends and guests to see the new Heer's.

The area's quickened pace will attract more event programming to the square and discourage inappropriate behavior.

It will transform from a place for daytime civil service employment to a neighborhood that morphs hourly to meet the needs of its changing demographics.

Far-reaching implications

The renovation of the Heer's building will fill the largest vacant space in downtown and allow developers to focus on the next available historic buildings in the area - Woodruff, McDaniel, Sterling, Woolworth and Newberry. New office and residential uses could emerge.

However, the most important outcome of the Heer's restoration will be psychological.

It will signal that downtown development has cleared its biggest hurdle, that hundreds of people are eager to make the conscious choice for an urban lifestyle, and that residents, office workers, and nightlife can productively coexist in the Ozarks.

Make plans now to order a thick, juicy steak at Mike Shannon's in 2011 and toast to the new memories to be made in the Heer's building's second century as the icon of the Queen City.[[In-content Ad]]Rusty Worley is executive director of Urban Districts Alliance.