HBA board approves purchase of new building

The organization will purchase Building D at Corporate Village, 636 W. Republic Road, from Morelock-Ross for $550,000 in a transaction that is set to close Sept. 5, according to HBA Executive Officer Matt Morrow.

HBA is now selecting a lead contractor from among its membership to handle infill construction of the 6,345-square-foot building.

HBA’s current offices, 1200 E. Woodhurst Drive, Ste. R-300, comprise 2,520 square feet, said HBA Operations Manager Charlyce Ruth, but space is tight for the organization’s five full-time employees.

“My office is actually in what used to be our second conference room,” Ruth said, noting that Shane Schoeller, director of government affairs, has an office in a former storage closet.

The Woodhurst office building already is listed for sale through Greg Huntsman of Jim Hutcheson Realtors, for an asking price of $298,000.

Morrow said that between 1,200 and 1,300 square feet will be leased in the new offices, at least initially.

The additional space also will help the association meet the needs of its growing membership, which now stands at about 400 companies.

“There are a lot of education programs that we try to promote to our membership,” Morrow said. “Most of them, it seems, we’ve had to take off-site, because if you get more than about 15 people, then you need a classroom-style setting.”

The main meeting room at the new building will be large and multifunctional and there will be two additional meeting rooms as well.

“In the home construction business, a lot of guys have offices in their homes, so to be able to come to our offices and use meeting space is a real benefit,” Ruth said.

The HBA has added Stone, Taney and Barry counties to its service area, which also comprises Greene, Christian, Webster, Lawrence, Polk, Dade and Dallas counties. HBA members are expected to vote soon on a technical change to the group’s bylaws.

Morrow said the bylaws now specifically state which counties the local HBA represents, but the change will remove the county names so that the service area is whatever is in the charter with the National Association of Home Builders, which must approve all additions.

Springfield HBA scores national awards

At the Aug. 3 Association Excellence Awards banquet in Connecticut, the local HBA received three awards from the National Assocation of Home Builders.

• Best Source of Revenue Other than Dues, for the 2005 HBA Home Show, which generated more than $50,000 in net revenues. The annual event draws between 15,000 and 20,000 people during a four-day period and accounts for about 37 percent of the group’s annual operating revenue.

• Best Political Action Program Administered, for its 2005 Stop the Housing Tax political campaign. Last year, Ozark voters were asked to consider residential impact fees of $1,800-per-home for debt repayment. The campaign used national court decisions to portray the impact fees as “hidden housing fees,” and voters rejected the ballot issue.

• Best Fund-raising Program to a Targeted Specialty Group Conducted, for its 2005 fund-raiser for the HBA Charitable Foundation that had an all-time high in attendance. The annual program provides thousands of dollars in scholarships and departmental grants that support young people who plan to pursue careers in residential construction. Funds also go to local charities and provide affordable housing and disaster relief.