Wilhoit lofts hit delay; Quizno’s opens

Thirty-two lofts on the downtown Springfield building’s second floor sit empty, despite a promise to tenants that they could move in Aug. 1.

Matt Miller, co-owner of Matt Miller Co., said general construction delays have pushed the move-in date to early next week.

The development company offered to put the tenants up in University Plaza Hotel until then, and, for those who have a place to stay in the interim, the company is paying $25 per tenant, per day. Tenants also were offered free storage on the first floor of the building for the week, and Miller said their belongings would be moved for them when necessary.

“They’re excited to move in there; we’re excited to have them,” Miller said. “Our tenants are the lifeblood of our business; without them, we’d fail. So we want to do everything we can to make this transition easy on them.”

Matt Miller Co. serves as its own contractor for the development, at 300 to 330 S. Pershing.

Justin Glow, a Missouri State University student and residential tenant of the plaza, said the move-in delay has been handled well. He is staying with a friend.

"Both the Matt Miller Company and (landlord) Birmingham & Associates have been really helpful," Glow said. "They've really done a good job in turning this situation, which is kind of out of their control, into a good one."

The large scope of the $15 million project – 100,000 square feet of space redeveloped over a year and a half – was bound to cause a problem or two, Miller said, and he’s proud that the short delay is all that came about.

One Wilhoit Plaza commercial tenant is ready to go, however. Quizno’s Subs is open for business today, Miller said.

Another national franchise and four new local businesses will be premiered to the public at an 11 a.m. news conference tomorrow in the building’s parking lot, at Jefferson and Elm.[[In-content Ad]]