SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL 41 NEWS MARCH 6 12, 2023 whether the 180-day window has begun. “It’s so cumbersome – I don’t know where the time frame has started to where we can tear the building down,” he said. Meanwhile, Williams said he is facing the prospect of fines from BDS for not tearing the building down, as he said BDS has declared the building to be blighted and unsafe. The BDS website explains that the city can require repairs of an owner or can undertake repairs itself and then bill the owner with its taxes. According to Williams, BDS and the Landmarks Board seemed to each be unaware that he was communicating with the other. According to Williams, the building will come down. “I’ve got to tear it down. It doesn’t make financial sense to rehab it,” he said. He said his plan is to build something that is in harmony with the historic district. A letter from Insight Design Architects LLC submitted on behalf of Williams to the Landmarks Board said a new development was planned at the site that would create an East Commercial bookended with more retail space and additional apartments while conforming to Landmark Board guidelines for new development. Williams’ packet also included his engineer’s assessment of the existing property, with photos of damage and information on the extent of required repairs, and the assessment that renovations are too costly to be feasible. Developing in a historic district is a labor of love, according to Williams. Development is always risky, he said, but development of a historic building is especially so. “It’s a lot more di cult than people realize,” he said. “You have to be in love with the area and want to see something good.” Building condition Mary Collette, president of the Commercial Club and co-owner of the Historic Firehouse on C-Street, has rehabbed numerous historic structures and observed the preservation of plenty of commercial buildings in the district. She said the unnamed building is part of the historic fabric of the area. “I do think that we as a community undervalue our historic fabric and our historic inventory,” she said. “I don’t think we give it the credit that it deserves, and we certainly don’t spend the money that we should as a community to promote it as a historic designation.” She said Springfield would be wise to protect its historic properties. “There seems to be value in the business community of what can we get away with,” she said. “How do we tear down the depot overnight on the weekend so we can get that over on the community?” Collette was referring to Springfield’s Spanish mission-style Frisco depot, which was torn down without warning by the Frisco Railway on a Saturday in 1977. She added that her experience has shown a building like the one Williams owns is structurally sound. “Since the stucco is falling o of it, it makes it look worse than it is,” she said. There was stucco on the front of the Historic Firehouse when she purchased it to operate as an event center, and it covered over architectural features that, when exposed, allowed the building to be added to the national historic district. She noted the unnamed building is not the only one to have been left vacant long enough to be considered demolition by neglect. C-Street buildings now holding Big Momma’s Co ee and Espresso Bar, the Pizza House and Askinosie Chocolate had all been listed as dangerous structures in the past but were successfully rehabbed. Historic buildings in the district typically contain strong material, like 5-by-5 pine beams that can barely be cut with a saw – they’re like steel, Collette said. “Instead of tearing all that out and building new, you go in there and you preserve as much of the original material as you can,” she said. “You’ll find yourself with a much stronger structure, because they just don’t make them like that anymore.” • Demolition: City declares C-Street building unsafe Continued from page 3 EXECUTIVE MARKETPLACE EXQUISITE AND TIMELESS UNDER CONTRACT $1,100,000 417-861-0008 417-855-2333 This is an exquisite home in the gated Golf Course Community of Highland Springs w/ 24-hour security. The floor plan is all on 1 level w/ vaulted & beamed ceilings throughout. A circle drive gives access to the front of the home w/ a courtyard & arched double front doors. There are 4 side entry garages, 2 on each side of the home & backs to a private lake. The U-shaped home wraps around a cover’d & uncov’d patio w/ a woodburning FP. The generous gallery opens to a lovely GR & FDR divided by a gas FP. The gourmet kitchen has lovely Alpine custom cabinetry w/ several built-ins, granite countertops, center island & snack bar. The stainless appliances are a Viking gas range w/ 6 burners, a grill + 2 ovens, Subzero refrigerator, wine coolers & ice maker. The bedrooms are a split plan & all are ensuites. The master suite is spacious w/ a sitting area. The master closets are a large dressing area w/ multiple closets. The master bath features granite flooring, dual vanities, a free-standing bubble tub & walk-in shower & custom Alpine cabinetry. A study/office is off the master BR w/ bookcases, wetbar w/ winecooler. Wood shingle roof is a year old & exterior is a concrete stucco w/ stone. This home will excite all the senses and is move-in ready! MLS# 60230767 REPRINTS are an essential tool. Order today. Call Amy Egger at 417-831-3238 Career Opportunity Residential Real Estate A Senior Process Chemist, in Springfield, MO will be responsible for effectively transferring projects to the production facility. The Senior Process Chemist is expected to assist in the technical guidance of one or more research projects and to provide contributions to the chemical problems assigned. This position requires a doctorate degree (Ph.D.) in Organic Chemistry or related field. The successful candidate must have two years of experience in chemistry research and development, which includes two (2) years of experience with the following instruments and software: High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) devices, Infrared (IR) Spectroscopy, Scifinder and Reaxys. For more details & how to apply, go to www.curiaglobal.com. Select “Careers” and then “Learn More” to search for the position and apply. LOVING THE LAND Remodeled home in Rogersville on 19+ acres including a pond. The home has an all brick exterior, 4 bedrooms, two remodeled bathrooms, two living areas, an updated eat in kitchen and unfinished walk out basement. New vinyl plank flooring and interior paint throughout the main level. Some of the other updates include: new garage door and opener, dishwasher, range top, sinks, ceiling fans, and guttering . Also the bathrooms have new flooring, vanities, toilets and more. In back of the home is a deck which overlooks that fenced and level acreage. The location is close to schools and easy access to Springfield in all directions. 417-447-4968 417-300-1513 ethelcurbow.com $499,000 Monica Horton: Historic buildings are part of a larger ecosystem that includes other stakeholders. by Karen Craigo · kcraigo@sbj.net State tax credits have been approved for renovations to the Missouri Hotel, located on historic Commercial Street. According to past Springfield Business Journal reporting, developer Titus Williams of Prosperiti Partners LLC plans a $50 million renovation to the 42,000-square-foot Missouri Hotel, as well as the 60,000 square feet of buildings surrounding it. Williams applied for credits in December 2022 after what he said was a long process of working to meet myriad state requirements. He has been informed the credits will be distributed in the next fiscal year, which begins July 1. He will seek a city tax abatement and a brownfields tax credit, and then construction will commence. Williams said he plans to build a boutique hotel with a restaurant on the first floor. “This has been years in the making,” he said. “Every time I walk up and down the street, people say, ‘When are you going to start that project?’ I say, ‘Well, I’m working on it.’ I wish I could swing a hammer right now.” He is in contract talks with O’Reilly Hospitality Management LLC to manage the hotel, a fact confirmed by CEO Tim O’Reilly. “I get people sneering and gnashing their teeth when they see me. They think I’m sitting on my hands,” Williams said. “When you’re dealing with these types of incentives and development you cannot be too hasty.” Patience is needed, and appropriate steps must be followed, Williams said. “Even though you get your name wrung through the mud, you have to do the right thing,” he said. Williams said the process for obtaining the historic development tax credits were made complex when Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens was in o ce in 2017-18. The credits became more di cult to obtain because of a point system that was in use. To get maximum points, buildings need to be vacant for three years, among other requirements. It took time to meet all of the requirements to apply, he said. Commercial Street booster and historic preservationist Mary Collette said she is glad to hear that the project will progress. “That’s fantastic,” she said. “He’s been talking about getting those tax credits for seven years.” Williams purchased the building in early 2017. Collette added she wishes Williams would take a similar approach to renovating another historic structure he’s planning to demolish in the 500 block of East Commercial. “It would go a long ways toward making him a hero in our community,” she said. Tax credits approved for Missouri Hotel
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