Vatterott, Bryan colleges move to new facilities

Expanding enrollment at Vatterott and Bryan trade schools is driving them to expand their presence in Springfield.

Vatterott College moving south

As a result of 20 percent enrollment growth in the last year, Vatterott College Director Cheryl Tilley needed more space. After two months of negotiations with listing agent R.B. Murray Co., Tilley got what she wanted. Vatterott College signed a long-term lease Nov. 10 for the 62,598-square-foot, former Consumers Market at 3850 S. Campbell Ave., owned by CRW Properties Inc.

Vatterott plans to hold spring classes there, possibly as early as March. A $1 million build-out must occur first, Tilley said.

The school, which specializes in career placement for medical, computer technology and computer-aided drafting students, now operates from about 24,000 square feet at 1258 E. Trafficway. There are 260 students.

"We have pretty much outgrown this building," Tilley said of the nondescript, center city site the school has occupied since opening a Springfield campus 13 years ago.

The new building, on nearly five acres, will compensate for that growth and then some. Vatterott will occupy about two-thirds of the building in the spring, equipping the interior with about 20 classrooms, three medical labs and administrative offices, Tilley said. Tilley expects the remaining 20,000 square feet to be used by 2005.

Vatterott is accepting architectural bids with hopes of naming an architect in a couple weeks. Selecting a general contractor will follow, Tilley said.

The building has sat vacant since Consumers Market closed in 1999. Curtis Jared, vice president of operations for CRW Properties, said the company was holding out for a single tenant, specifically retail.

"Eventually, we realized it's pretty tough in today's market," Jared said. "There are not a lot of stores out there that could use that size."

In September, the owners decided the site could be successfully marketed as three lease spaces, similar to the former Builder's Square on South Glenstone Avenue that was redesigned and now houses national retailers Borders Books, Marshalls and Bed Bath & Beyond.

CRW Properties hired architect Alan Bates to reconfigure the Consumers Market space and general contractor Harold Gray to perform the work. But the redesign halted shortly after demolition began, Jared said, when Vatterott expressed an interest.

Though CRW Properties turned down several offers for the smaller spaces during negotiations, Jared said he thinks Vatterott is the right tenant. "I think this is going to be a major improvement. It is well overdue," Jared said.

Vatterott College agreed to a five-year lease with extension options at approximately $7 per square foot, Tilley said. Larry Hughes of Murney Associates was tenant broker on the deal.

The school's current lease expires in February, Tilley said.

Founded in 1969, Vatterott College has 17 campuses in the Midwest, seven in Missouri. Companies such as Bass Pro Shops, CoxHealth, Jack Henry & Associates and McKesson Corp. have employed Springfield campus alumni, according to the school's Web site.

Bryan College leases old school

Functioning last as the home of Springfield Public Schools' Parents As Teachers program and school administrative offices, the 95-year-old McDaniel School building at 237 S. Florence will be the new home of Bryan College.

Brian Stewart, Bryan College president and shareholder, along with founder David Bryan, said the move is predicated on growth and the need to add more programs that the school doesn't have space to offer now.

The school currently operates out of about 10,500 square feet at 1700 S. Campbell Ave., which leases for about $6,800 per month. The McDaniel School space is twice the size of the existing site, and the building will convey the "image of education," Stewart said. He expects move-in to begin Dec. 1.

The building will be leased from Recess Properties LLC for $12,250 a month over a 10-year period, Stewart said. The lease arrangement includes a purchase option, he added.

Stewart intends to migrate classes, students, staff and faculty to the new facility in early January, with full operations expected to be in place by mid-month.

Recess Properties, a real-estate holding company, bought the 21,252-square-foot school structure and 1.2 acres from the Springfield Public School District in January at a cost of $211,700, the company's first acquisition, said Jeff Schrag, co-owner of Recess Properties.

The grand design was to lease the building to a single tenant, Schrag said. "Bryan just fit in perfectly."

Founded in 1982 in Topeka, Kan., Bryan College has operated in Springfield since it opened a small office in the Heer's Building in 1989. Each campus generates about $2 million in annual revenues, Stewart said. Each Bryan campus has about 150 students and employs about 25 combined faculty and staff, Stewart said. Curricula include coursework in business administration, computer networks and programming, travel and tourism, and medical office work.

Tuition ranges from $151 to $210 per credit hour. Since its inception, about 5,000 students have graduated from Bryan College, he added.

Interior work is nearing completion, said Brent Stevens, principal of H Design Group, the firm designing changes to the building.

Both the building and the site are on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Walnut Street Historic District.

Fourteen classrooms, 10 offices and a new elevator, which required approval by the Landmarks Board, were part of the interior alteration and preservation work, Stevens said.

Additionally, a 1,200-square-foot attic area was converted into an office for Stewart, Stevens said. "He's got a view of the baseball park."

The cost of the remodeling ran about $500,000 and involved a collaborative effort between Bryan College and Recess, Schrag said.

McDaniel School has a varied history of use since opening as an elementary school in 1908. Originally built with about 17,000 square feet, a 3,300 square-foot, multipurpose room was added in 1964, said Jim Dow, director of facilities for Springfield Public Schools.

In 1968 the building was converted to the Graff Vo-Tech Extension Center for Adults until 1992, when it began to be used for the Parents As Teachers program. Springfield Public School District ended its lease with Recess July 1.