Fremont Center to get million-dollar facelift

Work is scheduled to begin before the end of March on renovations to the Fremont Center at East Battlefield Road and South Fremont Avenue.

When renovations are complete at the end of 2007, the center will include a new tenant: Springfield’s first Macaroni Grill. The restaurant, one of two planned franchises in southwest Missouri by Swisshelm Group Inc., will be located on the lot currently housing Pizza Hut. That restaurant, which already is closed, will be razed to make room.

Fremont Center, built in 1979, is owned by Ataractic Investment Co. LLC, a group led by R.B. Murray Co. Vice President Rob Murray said the changes, designed by Bates & Associates with Missouri Supermarket Builders as general contractor, are long overdue.

“It’s something that we’ve been talking about doing for years,” Murray said. “The building is a Class-B building in an A-plus location. … We can’t put it off anymore.”

When completed, the project – which Murray called a “seven-figure remodel” – will create a shopping center where each store has a unique storefront with a lot of stone and rock, similar to exterior changes made in the last few years at Battlefield Mall. Murray said it’s a look that’s taking hold in shopping centers nationwide.

“There’s a real national trend for these smaller centers to be able to give tenants individual identities,” Murray said. “The idea is each space has its own look and feel so it doesn’t look like you’re in a long strip center.”

Changes to the center will be made slowly, Murray said, to allow the center’s tenants to remain in operation during the process.

The tenants have all seen the plans, Murray added, and he said they are all happy with the idea.

“I think it’s great – it will really make this center stand out,” said Jeff Newlin,

co-owner of Play It Again Sports. “It’s in such a great location, and it’s needed the update for a while. I’m glad to see it get done.”

While all the current tenants are staying and have leases in place, Murray said that renewal and new contract rates will be $15 to $18 per square foot.

The lone tenant change to the area will be the new Macaroni Grill. Bruce Swisshelm Jr., director of operations for Swisshelm Group, said the location is perfect for the new eatery.

“The traffic in front is unbelievable, obviously,” he said. “And with the Battlefield Mall basically catercorner to it, and Cox hospital in its back yard, the location worked well for us.”

The Macaroni Grill location, the first in southwest Missouri, signals a change to fast-casual dining for Swisshelm Group; it completed a sale of its 24 Burger King stores earlier this month.

“I think we were looking for a step up in check average,” Swisshelm said, referring to the amount each customer pays during a visit. “We had researched a lot of casual restaurants, and we settled on these folks about a year ago because of the reputation that their parent company, Brinker (International), had running restaurants.”

Brinker International’s holdings include Chili’s and On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina.

Swisshelm Group also runs two McAlister’s Deli locations in Jacksonville, Fla.

In addition to the change in holdings, Swisshelm Group founder Bruce Swisshelm Sr. is stepping back from the daily operations of the group, according to his son.

Calling the move a retirement, however, wouldn’t be entirely accurate, the younger Swisshelm said – Bruce Sr. was unavailable for comment for the story, his son said, because he was on his way to Florida to scout locations for additional McAlister’s restaurants. The group plans to eventually have 12 in and around Jacksonville.