Central Bank revives plans in east Springfield

A lone ATM sits on 2 acres at the southeast corner of Sunshine Street and Blackman Road. It has for years, while retail and office developments, including Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market and O’Reilly Hospitality Management headquarters, have popped up to the west and to the east.

Property owner Central Bank of the Ozarks seeks to join the development parade. A rezoning bill before Springfield City Council last night would forward the bank’s interests for a three-story office building, according to the application on file with the city. The parcel’s currently zoned as an O-1 office district, and city staff told council members an O-2 office zoning would remove building height restrictions.

During council’s public hearing, Springfield Planning & Development Director Mary Lilly Smith said O-1 district buildings are capped at 35 feet in height, while O-2 has no height limitations. However, she noted applicant Central Bank would limit its plans to 50 feet. Central Bank officials could not be reached for comment by deadline.

“We want it to be closer to the intersection and farther away from the neighborhood,” said developer representative Derek Lee of Lee Engineering and Associates LLC, noting in exchange for the height change, Central Bank would move the proposed office building 50 feet farther from residential housing than the current zoning permits.

The bank’s development interests at the site go back to 2008, when the company was still known as Empire Bank and officials discussed building its ninth Springfield branch on the corner. A rezoning request at the time sought to create the O-1 office district that was tied to a sale of the property to commercial developer Ken Schwab. Central Bank now owns the corner parcel.

Councilwoman Phyllis Ferguson remembers the rezoning debate from 2008. She sat on the city Planning & Zoning Commission that reviewed multiple versions of a development plan.

“What’s different today, than when it came through the first time?” Ferguson asked Lee.

“We tried to do things to push it closer to the commercial side,” Lee answered. “We would like to push it away from these houses.”

Council plans to vote on the Central Bank rezoning request March 20. City staff and P&Z members recommend approval.