K.C. investors plan $125 mil Bolivar development

Godfrey, Polk County economic development director, said the Kansas City-area group, whose identities aren’t being released, would make a formal presentation to the Bolivar Board of Aldermen after the New Year to outline specifics such as committed tenants, size and estimated cost. The development is unnamed.

Godfrey estimated the project at $125 million to $130 million and said the developers talked about restaurants, retailers, offices, hotels, car dealerships, a retirement community and a supermarket in their plans. The project will occupy 160 acres in southwest Boliver, near Highway 13 and Route T.

Wanda Wainscott, the 85-year-old widow of former Polk County Bank President Chester Wainscott, sold the land to the developers for an undisclosed price.

“She had the land in her family for years,” Godfrey said. “We thanked her for making the land available to (development).”

Attempts to reach Wainscott were unsuccessful.

Godfrey said the developers hope to start construction by May and tossed about possible tenant names such as Applebee’s, Cracker Barrel, Walgreens and The Home Depot.

“They would not say that any of (those) had committed,” said Godfrey, who noted the construction could take five years.

He credited the four-lane expansion of Highway 13 with giving Bolivar “a lot better opportunity to attract some of the chain stores.”

He said the city might pay part of the bill if it uses six acres the developers set aside for city use.

“One of the things we talked about was a convention center,” Godfrey said, also naming Police or Fire stations.

While the plan calls for national chains to serve as anchors, Godfrey said local businesses would occupy 80 percent of the development.

“They’ll have the traffic by having some of the national chain stores out there,” he said.

Jeff Freeman, owner of Hobbytime Motor Sports Inc., 4359 Highway 13, is excited about national retailers coming to Bolivar.

“That’s going to fire a lot of stuff for the economy here,” said Freeman, whose store is less than a mile from the development site.

Godfrey said the developers expect to pool from the 33,000 residents within the economic center of Polk County. They say the 10 to 15 national retail stores and restaurants that are being courted would attract consumers to Bolivar, a city of 9,759.

Godfrey said Bolivar hasn’t conducted an economic impact study but expects the project to “generate lots of retail jobs.”

The city’s five largest employers are Citizens Memorial Healthcare, 1,500; Wal-Mart, 475; Bolivar Public Schools, 355; Southwest Baptist University, 312; and Tracker Marine, 300, Godfrey said.

“Bolivar, now with our growth that we’re having, we would sort of be the economic engine in the northern part (of southwest Missouri),” he said.

“We could furnish jobs for people in Stockton, Humansville and all the surrounding areas.”

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