Ngo family plans retail development

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Would-be politicians will have to find a new place for their campaign signs come the next election.|ret||ret||tab|

The land between Hastings and Missouri State Bank and Trust Company on South Campbell Avenue previously a hot location for political sign-posting has been sold for retail development. |ret||ret||tab|

The Ngo family, which owns the Jade East, Jade Gardens and Hunan Gardens restaurants, and the Imperial Restaurant and Lounge, recently purchased the 3 1/2-acre tract in a $1 million transaction. Plaza Realty & Management Services was the listing agent for the property for owner Hammons-Gillenwaters.|ret||ret||tab|

"We're planning to put in there a shopping center that will have maybe 14 rental spaces," said Michael Ngo, who spoke for his family. He said his mother, Phung La Ngo, wants to open an Oriental market in the development, which will be open to "all kinds of retail." |ret||ret||tab|

"In the front, where there's an entry from Campbell, we plan to have another building in the future for a jewelry store. That's what I'm planning," Ngo said. |ret||ret||tab|

Ngo said his family made an offer for the property and bought it because of its location.|ret||ret||tab|

"It's right there at the corner of the most (busy) intersection, it seems to me," he said.|ret||ret||tab|

Eoff & Associates is the contractor, and DuWayne Eoff, a developer himself, said when it comes to traffic, shopping centers can't have too much.|ret||ret||tab|

"More traffic means more people, and the more people means the more services they need, whether it's a dry cleaner or a mailing service, or a restaurant or a clothing store or whatever," Eoff said.|ret||ret||tab|

David Braeckel, a real estate agent with ReMax, said the Ngos' property is one of the few pieces of land along that part of Campbell Avenue that isn't yet developed. Braeckel, who's worked with the Ngo family for several years, said they looked at that piece of land a few years ago. Between that time and the recent purchase, the land was studied carefully, Braeckel said.|ret||ret||tab|

"We did a lot of investigating ... as to the zoning and where the utilities were, and what type of curb cuts were available to them, you know, all of the issues that are important when you develop a piece of land, " he said.|ret||ret||tab|

The Ngo family's development will have some design similarities to Eoff's Aundria Plaza development on South National Avenue, but the exterior will be very different.|ret||ret||tab|

"He's going to (have) a brick with a new stone that we've never used before. It comes out of Texas, and it's got a lot of seashell fossils in it. It's really quite unique, and it's a new product that Acme Brick is just now getting ready to handle," Eoff said.|ret||ret||tab|

Bockman Engineering Services is doing the engineering work, and Bill Derington is the architect, Eoff said. Ngo noted that the project will be under way soon.|ret||ret||tab|

"They're planning to start digging and removing the sewer line back there that runs through the middle of the property ... they're going to start building it ... and if it goes the way they've planned it, it should be done probably in November," Ngo said.|ret||ret||tab|

Eoff said the Ngo family's development will have 28,000 square feet of leasable space, not counting a separate outbuilding that may be added later. He added that access to the property won't be a problem for shoppers.|ret||ret||tab|

"There's already one access closer to Battlefield, so we're approximately 300 feet from that," Eoff said. |ret||ret||tab|

He said that are cross easements with both the Hastings property to the north and the bank to the south that will allow consumers to reach the development from Battlefield.|ret||ret||tab|

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