First retailer opens doors at Farmers Park

Last edited 9:08 a.m., March 3, 2014

Ellecor Design and Gifts this week became the first retailer to open its doors at the south-side Farmers Park development.

Owned and operated by Haden Long, the store opened Feb. 26.

Studio 417 salon and Hudson Hawk barber shop are soon to follow suit on March 3, said Chad Danastasio, director of Farmers Park, and Five Pound Apparel LLC co-owner Bryan Simpson is targeting an April 5 opening date for his second store. Aviary Cafe and Creperie LLC opened its second location in Springfield at Farmers Park on Feb. 1, and Metropolitan Grill’s farm-to-table concept, Metropolitan Farmer, opened Nov. 29 at the 2144 E. Republic Road development, according to Springfield Business Journal archives.

Long, who has a bachelor’s in merchandising and a bachelor’s in interior design from Missouri State University, said being a part of the Farmers Park community is incomparable.

“When you have 10,000 people coming through on a Saturday alone, you just can’t beat that kind of traffic or the fellow businesses in the area,” she said.

Farmers Park is a 156,000-square-foot development in southeast Springfield cultivated by developer Matt O’Reilly and the silent partners of Green Circle Projects LLC, according to SBJ archives. It offers residential, retail and office spaces designed and constructed for low environmental impact and long-term sustainability.

Long’s new 2,300-square-foot space, leased from Farmers Park LLC for an undisclosed amount, offers professional interior design and home interior products, such as upholstered furniture, reclaimed hardwood tables, lighting, rugs, pictures and small gift items suitable for wedding registries, Long said.

Currently operated only by Long and a few family members, she hopes to hire freelance designers in the near future to assist in some of the daily operations.

Before taking on business ownership herself, Long managed a staff of 35 at Grove Spa, 1522 E. Sunshine St., for the past four years. Grove Spa sits under the ownership umbrella of Grove Pharmacy.[[In-content Ad]]