New Farmers Park owner aims to dispel ‘misconception’

Jamie Thomas: Edgewood REIT has 16 Springfield properties.

Abigail Perry: Farmers Park is an “anchor development” in Springfield.

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There’s a “misconception” when it comes to Farmers Park related to its occupancy rates.

That’s according to Jamie Thomas, local asset manager for Fargo, North Dakota-based Edgewood Real Estate Investment Trust. That organization purchased Farmers Park on April 30 for undisclosed terms from Matt O’Reilly of Green Circle Projects.

Thomas said the south-side development’s occupancy is roughly 96% on the commercial side, with 93% on the residential side.

“That’s a misconception with Farmers Park,” Thomas said, noting occupancy rates are higher than people might think. “It’s not as visual as maybe the original tenant mix was.”

That’s because retail was a large part of Farmers Park when it started, said Thomas. Farmers Park is a $22 million development that opened in 2014, according to Springfield Business Journal archives.

“It’s been a lot of office tenants, obviously Spencer Fane being a big one,” Thomas said, also pointing to Loehr Chiropractic and Acupuncture LLC as an example of the current slate of tenants.

Farmers Park additionally includes JW’s Kitchen, as well as 58 apartment units. Farmers Market of the Ozarks also operates at the property year-round.

Farmers Park is bookended on both sides by O’Reilly Hospitality Management LLC properties: one being the Hilton Garden Inn and the other a building that housed Houlihan’s before it shuttered in January 2024, according to past SBJ reporting. Additionally, Guaranty Bank owns the building where it operates on the property, Greene County assessor data shows.

Edgewood REIT currently owns 16 properties in Springfield, said Thomas. That includes Cambium Apartments, which also is where the company’s three local asset managers office.

One of those asset managers is Abigail Perry.

The purchase of Farmers Park is a full-circle moment for Perry, who previously worked for O’Reilly and Green Circle Projects.

“I’m hoping we can take his original intent and just build on it,” Perry said, calling Farmers Park “a real anchor development here in our community.”

She added, “It’s unique. There’s nothing in Springfield quite like it.”

The purchase of Farmers Park follows Edgewood REIT’s July 2025 acquisition of the Quarry Town mixed-use development in Galloway Village, which was also purchased from Green Circle Projects, according to past reporting.

Farmers Park and Quarry Town are a shot in the arm for Edgewood REIT’s local commercial offerings, Perry said, pointing to a big focus on multifamily assets in the market.

“Farmers Park is a great opportunity to grow in that mixed-use space,” Perry said.

Edgewood REIT entered the market in 2018 through the purchase of Missouri Valley REIT Inc. from the local Williams family of businesspeople, according to past reporting, and the company in 2021 purchased the downtown Heer’s building.

Edgewood REIT is a privately held investment trust with some 1,300 investors, according to past SBJ reporting.

“Springfield continues to stand out as a market we believe in,” Thomas said in a news release about the purchase of Farmers Park. “We are excited to grow our portfolio here and invest in a community that has demonstrated strong fundamentals and long-term potential. Farmers Park is a natural fit for our strategy, and we’re proud to be part of its next chapter.”