UPDATED: Heer's construction delayed till summer

Blue Urban principal Kevin McGowan bought the vacant landmark last November and in December said he plans to renovate it into 38 upscale condominium lofts above a Mike Shannon’s Steaks and Seafood Restaurant, with work beginning this month. McGowan now says that work probably won’t begin until mid- to late summer, due mostly to delays in the redesign work on Park Central Square.

“Our tenants and our investment are dependent on the square,” McGowan said. “We want to make sure the city’s commitment for the square is there and honored, and I believe it will be.”

During Art Walk in downtown tomorrow night, project manager Chris Woldum and other Blue Urban representatives will be at the building’s entrance 6–9 p.m. to discuss the $26 million project and loft layouts with interested buyers. They also will continue taking deposits to secure a priority number for the loft-selection event scheduled for June 21 at Trolley’s. On that day, prospective buyers will select their Heer’s units in the order their deposits were received.

Floor plans and prices for the lofts are available here at the Blue Urban Web site. The one-, two- and three-bedroom units range in size from 737 square feet to 2,654 square feet and in price from $148,000 to $477,720. Michelle Cantrell at Carol Jones, Realtors, is the listing agent.

McGowan will be in Springfield next Tuesday as the featured guest at Springfield Business Journal’s monthly 12 People You Need to Know breakfast event. More information and tickets are available here.