City Beat: Bass Pro Shops requests rezoning for future expansion

|tab|

For the third time in its existence, Bass Pro Shops has presented City Council with a development plan outlining its future expansion. |ret||ret||tab|

The latest was proposed at the July 1 council meeting.|ret||ret||tab|

Bass Pro would like to increase its total building floor area from 510,000 square feet to 640,000 square feet and add 120 parking stalls.|ret||ret||tab|

Council heard a bill that would rezone three properties facing Sunshine Street and amend the planned development for the Bass Pro and the American National Fish & Wildlife Museum Wonders of Wildlife campuses to facilitate such expansion. |ret||ret||tab|

The properties to be rezoned are the former Shady Inn, the former site of Burger King and an automotive shop. If the bill passes, zoning would change from highway commercial and general retail to a planned development district.|ret||ret||tab|

Bass Pro's vice president of design and development, Tom Jowett, told council this is the third planned development stage for the company. The first two were approved in 1985 and 1995.|ret||ret||tab|

"Since 1995 the property has continued to grow and expand to serve the community," he said.|ret||ret||tab|

WOW executive director Fred Marty said rezoning the Shady Inn site would allow for development of the planned conservation/education center, while the other properties could be the site of an IMAX theater down the road.|ret||ret||tab|

Councilman Ralph Manley said he agreed with the proposal. "Bass Pro and Wonders of Wildlife are real assets to this town and certainly great contributors to the economy here," he said.|ret||ret||tab|

|ret||ret||tab|

Center city land exchange|ret||ret||tab|

Council heard a first reading bill that would authorize the land exchange agreement between the city of Springfield and the John Q. Hammons Revocable Trust.|ret||ret||tab|

If approved, City Manager Tom Finnie said, the plan calls for the following: the city will own the current trade center in exchange for land it owns between Hampton Avenue and Walgreens on the corner of East St. Louis Street and South National Avenue; the new expo center will be built, and owned by the city; a new parking deck will go next to Hammons Tower and the public would have access to limited parking spaces on nights and weekends; Hammons will construct and operate the baseball park through city financing; Hammons will build a 120-room Holiday Inn Express-type hotel with a parking lot next to the Walgreens at National and St. Louis; and the University Plaza Hotel will be upgraded to a Marriott or Hilton and add another 80 rooms.|ret||ret||tab|

Finnie said the city would pay for the new $12.5 million expo center through $9 million in state TIF funds and $3.5 million from Community Improvement District taxes.|ret||ret||tab|

The only existing property in question was the Au Naturel Market & Cafe building at 1135 St. Louis. Richard Burton, president of Historic Springfield, said it is the "only historic commercial building remaining on the eastern leg of Route 66 as it travels through Springfield." Burton asked council to incorporate its preservation in the development of Jordan Valley Park.|ret||ret||tab|

However, Finnie said that property would most likely need to be used for development of the Holiday Inn-Express.|ret||ret||tab|

|ret||ret||tab|

Thompson case|ret||ret||tab|

Council unanimously passed an emergency bill that put the case of the City of Springfield versus Thompson Sales Co. to rest. The city awarded the Thompson family slightly more than $3 million. |ret||ret||tab|

|ret||ret||tab|

Every Kid Counts|ret||ret||tab|

Also approved in emergency action was the acceptance of a $42,000 grant from the Children's Trust Fund and a $1,000 donation from the Community Foundation of the Ozarks to provide financial assistance for numerous human services organizations in the Springfield community. Among them is the Springfield-Greene County Health Department's Every Kid Counts program, said Mayor Tom Carlson.|ret||ret||tab|

"In a period of 10 to 12 years, we can really make a difference in the quality of life in our community," Carlson said.|ret||ret||tab|

Health Department Director Harold Bengsch said the program helps community youth organizations find the necessary funding through grants and other similar financing.|ret||ret||tab|

"It becomes the entity that advocates for the necessary services at-risk kids need," he said. |ret||ret||tab|

|ret||ret||tab|

Arena development|ret||ret||tab|

Council heard a bill to rezone about 3.29 acres of land at 727 and 803 E. St. Louis Street from a commercial service district to a center city district. The property could then be used for development of the Jordan Valley Park Arena.|ret||ret||tab|

[[In-content Ad]]