Southwest Missouri News

Branson

Black Tie Celebration planned

The Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce will hold its 54th annual Black Tie Celebration beginning at 6 p.m. Feb. 2 at the Chateau on the Lake near Branson. For the first time, the Chamber is seeking corporate sponsorship for the event.

The organization also is seeking table sponsors and door prizes. Businesses can call the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce at 417-334-4084 for more information.

Other upcoming Branson events sponsored by the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce are the Hot Winter Fun Big Show, to be held Feb. 12 at the Jim Stafford Theatre, and Branson Fest 2001, to be held April 4-8 at the Mel Tillis Theatre.

Commission names members

The executive board of the Branson Convention Center Commission selected five new members, representing the businesses of theater, restaurant, lodging, retail and entertainment/attractions, at its meeting Jan. 12.

The five chosen were Robert Lynn Hall of The Grand Palace, Steven Weyher of the Golden Corral, Stephen Marshall of the Chateau on the Lake, Peter Herschend of Silver Dollar City and John Hanna of Branson Creek Development. A total of 26 rsums were received by the board from those interested in serving on the commission.

Regarding the Jan. 15 announcement of a new, 38,000-square-foot convention center to be located at the Branson USA theme park, Branson Mayor Lou Shaefer said this new facility should not have an impact on the joint effort by the city and Taney County to pursue its proposed 200,000-square-foot facility in Branson Meadows.

Bob Wehr, owner and developer of Branson USA, announced that construction is already under way on phase I of his three-phase project to expand the park.

The 12-member Branson Convention Center Commission was created by legislative action of the Branson Board of Aldermen and the Taney County Commission last November. The next step for the commission will be to prepare specifications and to solicit proposals from qualified firms for a convention center feasibility study. The study would examine the suitability of the proposed site in Branson Meadows.

The commission also will determine the physical features of the convention center, such as size, layout and facility use, and conduct a thorough market analysis on the economic impact of a convention center in Branson.

Construction down slightly in 2000

The value of new construction in Branson during 2000 decreased 6 percent, but the total is still the second highest in the past six years. According to Branson city officials, construction values last year equaled $61.3 million compared to $65.7 million in 1999.

"More than 15 percent of construction totals were condominiums," said Don Stephens, city planning/development director.

"The building of new condos for the time share industry is a trend we see continuing into 2001," he added.

Stephens said there is still plenty of undeveloped land inside the city limits. He said he doesn't expect a slowdown in construction this year because of the number of projects already in the city's plan review process.

Residential construction remained low, with 31 permits issued last year. According to Stephens, the high cost of land and hilly terrain within the city limits makes it less conducive to affordable residential subdivisions.

"We are, however, working with residential developers outside the city limits who want to build more homes in this area," Stephens said.

Branson Mall holds Bridal Show

The Branson Mall will hold its fifth annual Bridal Show 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Feb. 10. The event will include a spring and bridal fashion show at 3 p.m. There will be demonstrations and prizes, and professional consultants will be on hand to assist with wedding plans.

KHOZ Radio and the Branson Mall are sponsors of the show. Vendors are invited to participate and register for a booth at the show by calling 417-334-5412.

Joplin

Realtors report on year-end data

The average price of a home sold in the Joplin metropolitan area in December was $81,678, according to the Joplin Board of Realtors. That compares with $85,455 for November and $72,060 in December 1999.

In December 2000, 81 homes were sold in the Joplin area and 859 homes were actively on the market. The average number of days a home remained on the market in Joplin was 105.