It’s now or never for the Heer’s building.
After three failed redevelopment attempts in a span of 15 years, the line of eager volunteers to fire up the bulldozer was beginning to extend down Park Central West.
The roof of the Queen City’s most celebrated department store has been deteriorating rapidly and likely won’t survive more than one or two Ozarks winters.
In the meantime, organizers of Kansas City-based Dalmark Development Group quietly worked behind the scenes this spring to purchase the note on the 140,000-square-foot building, foreclose on it and orchestrate its acquisition on the Greene County courthouse steps.
Owner Jim Nichols had become familiar with the project through his son Zac graduating from Missouri State University. Nichols and company recently announced conceptual plans to create about 90 market-rate luxury apartments and approximately 12,000 square feet of commercial space on the first floor.
So why is this time different? Is Lucy teeing up the football for the downtown Charlie Browns once again?
The early indicators are encouraging.
First, the economy is on more solid footing, with local unemployment down to 5.4 percent, the stock market with record highs this spring, and the uncertainties of presidential elections way off in the distance.
Second, demand for loft apartments in Springfield continues to be strong with a 97 percent occupancy rate, according to a 2012 urban housing study. There are several loft projects just opening or underway – Union Biscuit, College Station, The Frisco and Sky Eleven – but I believe these 250-plus units can be absorbed when staggered during the next two to three years.
Third, the neighboring momentum continues to build. Ten years ago, there was no Jordan Valley Innovation Center, IDEA Commons or Springfield Cardinals. Five years ago, the Yellow Bonnet building was a college bar instead of a call center for Sunrise Communications, the Morris parking garage on Olive didn’t have 20 lofts and The Vision Clinic as a tenant, and a vacant parking lot was waiting for its future 14-screen movie theater. Within the past year, the McQueary family unveiled multimillion-dollar plans for The History Museum on the Square and Hotel Vandivort, Scott Tillman started renovations on the Woolworth building for Dake-Wells Architecture and Matthew Miller and Tim Roth purchased the Landmark, Woodruff and McDaniel buildings. The development of the smaller projects during the past decade – incentivized by the Missouri historic tax credit program – have been the rising tide to lift the more complicated and expensive ventures.
Finally, Dalmark appears to have the experience in large-scale renovations and the access to capital necessary to get the job done. The company has deliberately and refreshingly chosen to focus time on crafting plans and executing them instead of scheduling press conferences and missing deadlines.
For the generations who have fond memories of the Heer’s building and want to see it retooled for its second century, encourage your City Council person to approve a reasonable tax abatement and incentives package, consider renting one of its upscale lofts, or at least commit to faithfully patronize its sidewalk cafe.
For those who favor the Colonial Hotel and Frisco Depot approach to urban revitalization, put aside your understandable skepticism and give the ol’ girl one last chance.
Rusty Worley, executive director of Urban Districts Alliance, can be reached at rusty@itsalldowntown.com.
