North-Springfield business mix expands

Buffalo Wild Wings, which has a south Springfield location in Battlefield Marketplace, has leased 5,800 square feet in Super Center Plaza, 2725 N. Kansas Expressway, according to leasing agent Teresa Schwab of Wilhoit Properties. The restaurant’s 10-year lease includes multiple renewal options.

Buffalo Wild Wings franchisee Jim Bruno was not available for comment; Schwab said plans are for the new location to open in October.

Developer Jester said Buffalo Wild Wings’ north side location will be a new concept store, and “will be a great plus for north Springfield.”

Sport Clips also has joined the tenant roster at the 27,105-square-foot Super Center Plaza, which also includes Lemstone Christian Book Store and Check Into Cash.

Jester acquired Town & Country in 2001, marking his first foray into north-side development. He invested more than $7 million for a facelift and out-lot development at Town & Country, which comprises 93,407 square feet.

Super Center Plaza, an approximately $4.2 million Jester project financed by Montgomery First National Bank of St. Louis, links the parking lot of the Wal-Mart Supercenter, 2825 N. Kansas Expressway, with Town & Country.

Jester said he’s pleased with both Town & Country and Super Center Plaza, the parking lots of which now connect with Big Lots, 2565 N. Kansas Expressway.

“We’ve got a secondary thoroughfare … that allows shoppers to move a block and a half and never have to go back out on Kansas Expressway,” Jester said. “From Wal-Mart to Braum’s is wide open right now.”

USA Furniture has moved in to 19,000 square feet at Town & Country, in a space that previously housed a movie theater and, most recently, North Point Church.

While switching from a theater to a church didn’t require extensive alterations, Schwab said, they were necessary for USA Furniture.

“All of those auditoriums had floors that slanted down, so they had to fill those cavities so that they could have level floors in the show room area of the store,” she added.

Jimmy John’s, which has two Springfield locations, 322 E. Walnut St. and 3536 S. National Ave., is moving into 1,150 square feet in the outbuilding that houses EB Games. Schwab said Town & Country’s vacancies include 6,000 square feet that formerly housed $1 Shop.

Northward movement

Realtor Ken Schwab of Wilhoit said Jimmy John’s and Buffalo Wild Wings are part of a growing list of companies that are moving into northwest Springfield, citing Golden Corral, Lowe’s, Hobby Lobby, International House of Pancakes and Staples as others.

“You can look at northwest Springfield and south Springfield, and that’s where you’ll see most of the businesses that have two locations,” said Schwab, who worked with Jester throughout the acquisition of Town & Country and the creation of Super Center Plaza. “When they look for multiple locations, and are only going to have two (locations), they want that (north) corridor,” he said.

To ease traffic, the signal directly in front of the Wal-Mart Supercenter is to be moved south, between the McDonald’s and QuikTrip, Teresa Schwab said.

Also influencing north Springfield growth is the fact that land is becoming harder to find on the south side.

“I’ve actually had people pull back on a decision to come (to south Springfield) because they couldn’t find the right parcel,” Schwab said. “The need right now is to get an east-west connector from Highway 65 over to the west.” [[In-content Ad]]