Two downtown Springfield architecture firms have joined forces.
Hagerman New Urbanism LLC merged with Bates & Associates Inc. June 15, according to Jerry Hagerman, who noted that no money changed hands with the move. Bates & Associates, located at 433 W. Walnut St., now has approximately 17 employees - including eight registered architects - under the leadership of President Steve Warlick.
"Bates & Associates is growing," Warlick said. "It's great to get the resources, the design talent and the architectural ability of the Hagermans in our office."
Hagerman and his son, Bo Hagerman, founded Hagerman New Urbanism in 2004. Both Jerry and Bo have taken positions with Bates & Associates, and Hagerman New Urbanism's other two employees also were brought on board, Jerry Hagerman said.
"It just was one of those rare times that things seem to work out," Hagerman said. "By pushing our firms together, we've put a lot of diverse capabilities together."
With the merged firm, Hagerman has taken the position of director of architecture, which he describes as similar to a vice president's role. Hagerman, an architect who has worked in the industry for more than 30 years, now advises other Bates & Associates architects and provides them with technical assistance.
Bo Hagerman has become a principal architect for the firm, with two primary roles - design and development and marketing.
Following the March 22 death of Bates & Associates owner Alan Bates due to a stroke, Warlick, who was a partner of the firm, succeeded Bates as president.
Jerry Hagerman said his and Bo Hagerman's association with Bates and Warlick led to a logical merger.
Hagerman said he was a colleague of Bates for several years and was friends with his father, Warren Bates, who founded Bates & Associates. He noted that Bo Hagerman has been friends with Warlick for years, as well.
"We're looking forward to building on the rich tradition (set by Alan and) Warren Bates," Jerry Hagerman said.
Hagerman New Urbanism previously operated out of space owned by Jerry and his wife, Sondra Hagerman. The bottom three floors of the building at 122 Park Central West are
up for lease through Murney Associates Realtors, said Sondra Hagerman, a real estate agent with the company.
The top floor is leased to an undisclosed Web-based company until March 2012, but the middle floors, which held Hagerman New Urbanism, and the basement floor, which hosts the Hagermans' artwork via Park Central Gallery, are available for lease at $9.50 a square foot for the first year, with a minimum three-year lease, Sondra Hagerman said.
She said the bottom three floors comprise roughly 3,500 square feet. The space has had interested potential tenants, but no deals have been made, Hagerman added.[[In-content Ad]]
