New buildings go up on north and south sides

by Melissa Wilson

SBJ Staff

Two more commercial buildings will soon be part of the Springfield landscape, one at 1950-1980 E. Chestnut Expwy., the other at 1304 E. Kingsley.

Dick Patterson, of Patterson Construction, is both contractor and owner of Chestnut Plaza Condominiums at the corner of Chestnut Expressway and Pythian Avenue. The complex, a steel building designed by John Oke-Thomas & Associates, will be a 20,500-square-foot office condominium for sale or rent and will be complete by January, Patterson said.

Besides being contractor and owner, Patterson will also be a tenant. "We (Patterson Construction) will occupy about 2,800 square feet of space and Premier Sportscars has already bought space as well," he said.

The area was chosen because Patterson already owns the Phelps Building at 1959 E. Chestnut, which is directly behind the Chestnut Plaza site, and because of its accessibility to the major thoroughfares of Chestnut Expressway and Highway 65 Bypass.

"I think (Chestnut Plaza) lends itself to the type of area people want to be in," Patterson said. "It's close to downtown and the city offices, and traffic getting to and from the south side of town is a consideration also."

The smallest divisible space available for sale or rent at Chestnut Plaza is 1,582 square feet.

Patterson said because the interiors of the office condos will be custom-designed, the price per square foot will vary by tenant.

Bart Fesperman of United Consumers Club, a private wholesaler of home furnishings and appliances, said the site at 1304 E. Kingsley, across the street from Zio's and two doors down from the Headache Care Center, was chosen for its location and because United Consumers is outgrowing its office space and showroom at 2007 W. Woodland.

"We bought the franchise in early 1995 and have done twice the volume that was projected for us," Fesperman said. "We have had unusually large growth, and need more space than the 5,000 square feet we're currently in."

At 7,500 square feet, the office showroom will house United Consumers exclusively and is set to be complete by the end of January. United Consumers will own the building, Fesperman said. Williams Construction is the general contractor for the project, designed by architect Richard Warner.

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