Historic Galloway entices developers

First came downtown. Then Commercial Street. Now, Galloway may be the next target of concentrated redevelopment in Springfield.

Bob Stockdale thinks so. In July, he moved Creative Ink Architects LLC from Sunshine Street to Lone Pine Avenue in Galloway, an area in southeast Springfield that is still known as Galloway Village even though it became part of Springfield in 1969.

Galloway is near the Highways 60 and 65 interchange. Lone Pine is its main thoroughfare. The village is home to Sequiota Park, eight miles of walking trails, a limestone quarry, an active freight train, modern residential neighborhoods and small specialty retail shops.

Stockdale renovated a 1907-built house on four acres for his firm’s new office.

“I just think there’s a really neat eclectic, quirky, artsy … interesting feeling down here,” he said. “This area is becoming ripe for development, and it offers something very unique and different than any other place in Springfield.”

Real estate broker Mike Mellinger of Mellinger Commercial agrees.

The city of Springfield and Missouri Department of Transportation have long-term plans to build a bridge over Highway 60 that would give Republic Road a straight shot into Galloway, according to Earl Newman, the city’s assistant director of public works for traffic engineering.

That, coupled with the area’s quaint, country feel, could lead to big changes five to 10 years from now, Mellinger said.

That’s good news for Klaus Greinke, owner of Galloway Station restaurant, which sits toward the south end of Lone Pine. The more businesses in Galloway, he said, the more hungry customers will come his way.

Land sales

Springfield Veterinary Hospital is buying 1.2 acres a few hundred feet south of Creative Ink on Lone Pine, according to JP Morgan Real Estate Solutions agent Janice Kissinger. Owner Tedd Hamaker declined to comment.

Matt Vaughn, co-owner of Oak Grove Construction Services, has seven acres on Lone Pine for sale. He’s asking $700,000 and plans to build retail and storage units on the property if it doesn’t sell.

Galloway’s landscape is full of trees, hills and valleys. However, Vaughn said developers could easily level the property he has for sale.

Mellinger said he hopes developers embrace Galloway’s natural terrain, and Stockdale said he likes seeing deer outside his office.

Even urban developer Matt Miller, whose credits include Founders Park Lofts and Wilhoit Plaza, sees potential in Galloway. His only concern would be dust from the quarry.

“I ride bikes down there,” he said. “I’ve been down there recently … saying, ‘Yeah, this may be a little bit of a development opportunity here.’”

Limestone plant

The area’s most unique development opportunity might come from a former limestone plant, which also sits along Lone Pine.

Mississippi Lime stopped processing chemical-grade and food-grade lime at the plant several months ago and pulled the last of its equipment from the plant Aug. 25.

Conco Co. will continue to mine the 360-acre quarry, owned by Ash Grove Cement Co., and will help provide site security for the eight-acre plant, said Chris Upp, Conco’s director of quarry operations.

Conco and Ash Grove Cement, which has partial ownership in Conco, will soon determine the plant’s fate, which will have nothing to do with manufacturing, according to Upp. He said its future likely lies with retail or general commercial use.

Stockdale said the plant could feasibly be used for retail and restaurants, but he would really like to see the plant become an arts and crafts village.[[In-content Ad]]