Donated building to house bigger ReStore

Habitat President Neil Guion announced Keltner Enterprises' donation of the South Scenic property at Habitat's Jan. 18 annual meeting.

Keltner Enterprises will hand over the 19,240-square-foot building later this year when the building's current tenant, Spec Building Materials, finishes its lease term.

“We are amazed and just so thankful for their generosity,” said Anna Codutti, director of development and community relations for Habitat. “It means more to us than we can say, and it's really going to help us continue to benefit more deserving families in Greene County.”

New digs

The commercial appraised value of the building is $372,000, according to the Greene County Assessor's Office.

The property will serve as the site for Habitat offices, warehouses for construction materials and the Habitat ReStore, which will be relocated from its rented location at 4535 W. Chestnut Expressway.

Once in its new location, the ReStore will use its added space to offer affordable furniture - something space limitations kept it from doing before, Codutti said. The store also will continue to sell new and used building materials.

Codutti said few renovations will be needed to prepare the building for Habitat's move.

The donation is expected to result in enough savings to fund the construction of an extra house every year.

State money

Habitat's efforts to provide affordable housing are also getting a boost from a $200,000 grant from the Missouri Department of Economic Development.

The department approved the grant through the Community Development Block Grant program on behalf of Habitat for Humanity of Springfield. Funding will be released to Greene County as certain requirements set by the program are met.

The grant will be used to construct public infrastructure needed to support 56 housing units for low-income families on an 18-acre tract of farmland at 3800 N. Farm Road 143, located between Highway 13 and Old Highway 13.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has agreed to match funding for the streets, water, sewer and storm drainage infrastructure. Other project expenses will be paid for by private and local donations, in-kind services and resources from the United Way and HUD.

Completion of the infrastructure improvements, and about 21 of the housing units, is expected within two years.