Scramblers, Cravin' Pizza anchor new Estgate Plaza

The owners of Scramblers Restaurants and Cravin' Pizza are adding locations to an area of town they say is overlooked in building new businesses: east of Highway 65 on Sunshine.

"It's an area that's underdeveloped," said Mike Mellinger, a broker for McLoud and Company.

Mellinger is the leasing agent for Eastgate Plaza, a new strip of businesses on Eastgate located between Git-n-Go and Dairy Queen.

The new center will include a Scramblers, a Cravin' Pizza and five other as-yet-undetermined businesses.

"The center has some unique features, like a clock tower and a tile roof," Mellinger said.

"Everyone felt we were better off spending the money now to make it look more attractive for current and future businesses," he added.

Mark Gardner, who co-owns the property, said the land was purchased before it was announced that improvements were going to be made to Highway 65 and Sunshine.

"The highway department is splitting Eastgate Road for traffic purposes," Gardner said.

"This will increase the traffic flow there and thus the visibility of the businesses moving in there," he added.

Gardner and his business partner, Mike Sitton, own the four acres the Eastgate Center is now located on.

A total of seven tenants will move into the center in the center's first phase, Gardner and Sitton said.

In the second phase, new businesses would be added onto the east and west ends of the building.

Scramblers has just opened its third location in Eastgate Center. Cravin' Pizza should be ready for business April 1.

Gregg Stancer, managing broker for CJR Commercial Group, said the construction at Highway 65 and Sunshine began last year, but the plans for this construction project have been in the works for several years.

"I knew the center was going to be built, and the owners of Scramblers hired me to find a location on that side of town," he said. "So it was a good fit."

Bill Cox, who owns Scramblers with his wife, Julia, said he chose the location because of the business opportunity it provides them.

"We knew Mark Gardner was building there, and this was an opportunity we wanted to take," Cox said.

Corey Craven, owner of Cravin' Pizza, agreed that the east side of Springfield is a great location for new businesses.

"The east side of Highway 65 has been screaming for alternative places to eat," he said.

"I wanted a nice place for families to go to."