Springfield Business Journal_2020-10-19

New owner plans upgrades in $20M Plaza Towers investment Bulk of exterior work is projected to be completed by summer 2021 by Mike Cullinan · mcullinan@sbj.net Springfield Property LLC, the new owner of Plaza Tow- ers, is investing over $6 million in renovation plans for the over 50-year-old office building and its adjacent shopping center.  Marco Denis, the real estate company’s owner and president, said his investment in the Plaza Towers proper- ties is roughly $20 million. That includes the $13.3 million purchase of the 10-story, 130,000-square-foot building, 35,000-square-foot Plaza Towers Center and Jimm’s Steakhouse and Pub building. The properties sit on rough- ly 10 acres at the southwest corner of Glenstone Avenue and Sunshine Street. “This is one special building, and you can’t miss it,” De- nis said. “I want to preserve it and therefore that’s why I’m willing to put in a lot of money to making sure that we can.” The Plaza Towers purchase from the family of Errett Sechler Jr. closed Sept. 25, Denis said. Wilhoit Properties Inc. agent Ken Schwab brokered the deal. $2.00 · SBJ.NET OCT. 19-25, 2020 · VOL. 41, NO. 13 Chamber selects Small Business Award finalists by Christine Morton · cmorton@sbj.net After a delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the re- sults are in for the finalists of the Springfield Area Cham- ber of Commerce’s 2020 W. Curtis Strube Small Business Award. The companies range in industry from marketing and cosmetics to technol- ogy, financial and aviation. The unveiling of the fi- nalists comes after they’re typically announced in the spring. The Small Business Award finalists, in alphabetical order, are: • Academy of Hair Design Inc., a cosmetology and barber school that also has a full-service salon for students to train; • Burgess Aircraft Management LLC, dba OzAir Charter Service, which operates a fleet of nine jets from Springfield; • OMG Commerce, an e-com- merce and digital marketing agen- cy with a focus on advertising via Amazon and Google; • Pearson-Kelly Technology, a managed service provider for in- formation technology; and • Volt Credit Union, a nearly 85-year-old credit union that re- cently rebranded. The winning company is sched- uled to be announced Nov. 11 dur- ing a virtual ceremony presented at the Oasis Hotel & Convention Center. Each will be featured Nov. 5 at the chamber’s Good Morning, Springfield event, ac- cording to a news release. See AWARDS on page 27 See PLAZA on page 24 Brett Curry: Online shopping uptick during pandemic is boosting clients’ sales. 2020 Finalists EDUCATION Area colleges and universities see an influx of funding following a positive state financial report and unemployment rate. PAGE 9 MCKENZIE ROBINSON PIECE OF HISTORY Springfield Property President Marco Denis says he wants to preserve Plaza Towers with his purchase of the building and the adjacent shopping center.