Volume 16 Issue 11 December 26, 2009 www.columbiabusinesstimes.com $ 1 50 PRST STD U.S. Postage PAID Permit #353 Columbia, MO 9 Economic Index Positive indicators signal a turnaround in Columbia’s economy. City View Tim Teddy outlines process for developing comprehensive plan, a “daunting” task. 10 23 Grand Night for Grand Cru Local restaurant celebrates 10 years of business on New Year’s Eve. See Page 16 SPECIAL SECTION Year in Review PHOTO BY JENNIFER KETTLER (continued on Page 12) Community Commerce Grocer’s goal: Revive neighborhood shopping By Chris Dieterich Bill Coats grew up in west central Columbia and remembers, in the early 1960s, an old corner store at the junction of Sexton Road and McBaine Avenue. He didn’t shop there often because his parents thought it was safer for the kids to walk from their home on the south side of Worley Street to another market a few blocks south to avoid crossing the busy street. Although those stores are long gone, Coats, now 58, has his own community market at McBaine and Sexton. Unitee Market was his chance to run his first business and fill the neighborhood’s need for a store within reasonable walking distance. "It's something that I think the neighborhood has needed for a while,” said Vickie Freelon, Coats’ business partner. “There are a lot of old people who don't have cars and find this market very convenient.” Inside the store, behind the front picture window, there’s a round wooden table and wire-backed chairs where regulars play dominoes and read newspapers. A portable heater in the corner adds warmth as friends, neighbors and customers come and go. Behind the table is an assortment of Kwanzaa, Christmas and “Get Well” cards. A freezer full of ice cream delineates the front of the narrow store from the rest of the goods.
Transcript
Volume 16Issue 11
December 26, 2009
www.columbiabusinesstimes.com $150
PRST STDU.S. Postage
PAIDPermit #353Columbia, MO
9Economic IndexPositive indicators signal a turnaround in Columbia’s economy.
City ViewTim Teddy outlines process for developing comprehensive plan, a “daunting” task.10
23Grand Night for Grand CruLocal restaurant celebrates 10 years of business on New Year’s Eve.
See Page 16
SPECIAL SECTION
Year in Review
ph
oto
by
jen
nif
er
ke
ttle
r
(continued on Page 12)
Community CommerceGrocer’s goal: Revive neighborhood shoppingBy Chris Dieterich
Bill Coats grew up in west central Columbia and remembers, in the early 1960s, an old corner store at the junction of Sexton Road and McBaine Avenue. He didn’t shop there often because his parents thought it was safer for the kids to walk from their home on the south side of Worley Street to another market a few blocks south to avoid crossing the busy street.
Although those stores are long gone, Coats, now 58, has his own community market at McBaine and Sexton. Unitee Market was his chance to run his first business and fill the neighborhood’s need for a store within reasonable walking distance.
"It's something that I think the neighborhood has needed for a while,” said Vickie Freelon, Coats’ business partner. “There are a lot of old people who don't have cars and find this market very convenient.”
Inside the store, behind the front picture window, there’s a round wooden table and wire-backed chairs where regulars play dominoes and read newspapers. A portable heater in the corner adds warmth as friends, neighbors and customers come and go. Behind the table is an assortment of Kwanzaa, Christmas and “Get Well” cards. A freezer full of ice cream delineates the front of the narrow store from the rest of the goods.
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11
10Citizen JournalistGrowth and development in Columbia’s North Central Village, a new sense of purpose
From the Roundtable Long after “jumper” incident, pedestrian bridges in Columbia remain unchanged.
Albright Heating & Air Conditioning ............... 7Beckett & Taylor Agency ............................. 14Boone County National Bank ...................... 24Business Conference & Showcase ............. 22Carpet One .................................................... 7City of Columbia Water & Light ..................... 9Columbia Turf / Columbia Landscape ........... 3Delta Systems Group .................................. 19Huber & Associates ....................................... 5KeLani Hair and Day Spa ............................ 19Landmark Bank ............................................. 2Moresource ................................................. 16ResCare HomeCare..................................... 20Sandler Training ........................................... 18SOCKET ........................................................ 8The Insurance Group ..................................... 4Triangle Blueprints ....................................... 20UMB ............................................................ 21US Bank ...................................................... 15Willie Smith's Magic Services ..................... 20
ABC Labs ................................................................ 18Alternative Community Training ................................ 5Ameren UE .......................................................... 5, 16Atkins Corporation .................................................. 11Bank of America ...................................................... 17Beauty Express Floral Boutique .............................. 12Boone County National Bank .............................. 4, 19Boone Hospital Center ............................................ 16Boone Tavern ............................................................ 4Buchroeder’s ........................................................... 17CC’s City Broiler ........................................................ 4Central Bancompany ................................................. 4Central Missouri Food Bank ...................................... 5Central Missouri Humane Society ........................... 17Central Trust & Investment Company........................ 4Clovers Natural Market ............................................ 14Columbia Locally Owned Retail & Services .............. 5Columbia Regional Hospital .................................... 16CORE ......................................................................... 5Crane Clinic ............................................................... 4Cumulus Broadcasting .............................................. 5Dali’s .......................................................................... 4Eastside Tavern ....................................................... 17Ellis Fischel Cancer Center ..................................... 16End of the Rainbow ................................................. 17Gerke & Associates ................................................. 19Grand Cru ........................................................... 1, 23Hawthorn Bank ........................................................ 17Heart of Missouri United Way.................................... 5Hemingway’s ............................................................. 4Hy-Vee ..................................................................... 18Invista Capital Management ...................................... 4Jack’s Gourmet ......................................................... 4KMIZ-TV .................................................................... 5KOPN ........................................................................ 7Landmark Bank ................................................. 17, 18Midway Electric ....................................................... 17Midwest CompuTech............................................... 17The Missouri Review ................................................. 7Moser’s .................................................................... 18The Nostalgia Shop ................................................. 23Orr Street Studios ................................................ 5, 11Osher Lifelong Learning Center ................................ 3Peak Performance Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine .................................................................. 17Pickleman’s Gourmet Café ........................................ 5Piper Jaffray/UBS Wealth Management US ............. 4Progressive Missionary Baptist Church .................. 12Pure Marketing and Media .................................... 4, 5Rainbow House ......................................................... 5Regional Development Inc. ............................... 15, 17Regions Bank .......................................................... 17The Root Cellar ........................................................ 14Salvation Army .......................................................... 5Schnucks ................................................................. 18Sundvold Financial .................................................... 5Tiger Hotel ............................................................... 17Unitee Barber Salon .......................................... 12, 13Unitee Market ................................................ 1, 12, 13University of Missouri Children’s Hospital ........... 4, 16University Physicians................................................. 4U.S. Bank ................................................................ 17Visionworks Marketing & Communication............... 19Walt’s Bike Shop ....................................................... 7Williams-Keepers LLC ............................................. 23Woodruff and Sweitzer ............................................ 11Word Marketing ......................................................... 4YouZeum ............................................................. 4, 18
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usinessTimes.comThe Columbia Business Times is published every other Saturday by
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Writers in this issue: Leah Christian, Jonathan W. Crowell, Chris Dietrich, Kathleen Pointer, Abby RogersColumnists in this issue: Al Germond, Mike Martin, Tim Teddy
Chris Harrison | General Manager | Ext.1010David Reed | Group Editor | Ext.1013Alisha Moreland | Art DirectorSarah Handelman | Graphic DesignerJennifer Kettler | Photo Editor | 573-529-1789Renea Sapp | Business ManagerCindy Sheridan | Operations ManagerBetsy Bell | Marketing RepresentativeBecky Beul | Marketing RepresentativeJoe Schmitter | Marketing RepresentativeAshley Meyer | Creative Services
4Columbia City Council Meeting7 p.m (5:45 p.m.—pre-Council meeting) Daniel Boone Building, 701 E. BroadwayThe agenda will be available on the City’s Web site by the end of the day Dec. 31.
Strategic Planning6 – 8 p.m., Osher Lifelong Learning Center, 3215B LeMone Industrial Blvd.This class will provide a format for developing specific strategies, converting those strategies into a business planning process and establishing measurable and attainable goals. This session is one of four that will help business leaders develop business strategies. For more information, call 882-9953. The sessions cost $449, and the registration deadline is Dec. 29.
7legislative Reception 4:30 – 6 p.m., Walton Building, 300 S. Providence RoadThe Columbia Chamber of Commerce will debut its leg-islative priorities during the legislative reception. Local legislators have been invited to attend the reception. Drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be served. Registration is open until Jan. 6 and is for members only. This event is free. For more information, call 817-9114.
11Junior leadership Columbia Economy Session5 – 7:30 p.m., MU Life Science Business Incubator, 1601 S. Providence RoadThe Junior Leadership Columbia Steering Committee’s purpose is to motivate students and develop their potential for community leadership. The committee
acquaints students with opportunities, realities and challenges in the community. For more information, call 817-9115.
Strategic Planning6 – 8 p.m., Osher Lifelong Learning Center, 3215B LeMone Industrial Blvd.This is the second of four sessions of the strategic planning class. Attendees will learn to create specific business strategies, convert those strategies into a business planning process and set measurable and attainable goals. For more information, call 882-9953.
12EPIC Executive Committee Meeting3 – 5 p.m., Walton Building, 300 S. Providence RoadEmerging Professionals in Columbia’s purpose is to engage, develop and celebrate emerging leaders in Columbia. The committee is closed to EPIC Executive Committee members only. For more information, call 817-9115.
13REDI Board of Director’s Meeting11:30 a.m., Board Room of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce, 300 S. Providence RoadFor more information, call 442-8303
15Columbia Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors Meeting 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., Walton Building, 300 S. Providence RoadFor more information, call 817-9109.
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• Employee Benefit Services • Surety Bonds • Business Insurance• Health • Life • Auto • Aircraft
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JanuaryThe Columbia office of Central Trust & Investment Company
hired Patricia Coriden as vice president and administrative officer. In this position, Coriden works directly with clients to structure and maintain investment management and trust accounts. Prior to joining Central Trust, Coriden was senior trust officer for Wells Fargo Bank in Wisconsin; she has more than 20 years of experience in the field.
FebruaryCentral Trust & Investment Company hired Mark T. Williams as
senior portfolio manager in the Columbia market. With more than 20 years in the financial services industry, Williams works with indi-vidual and business clients to create customized portfolios. Prior to his appointment with Central Trust, Williams worked as a financial advisor for Piper Jaffray/UBS Wealth Management US. He was also a security analyst, portfolio manager and director of research at Invista Capital Management.
Jamie Ferrugia joined The Callaway Bank as a senior vice presi-dent and wealth management officer. He works closely with the trust officer to manage the investments of trust customers while also being available to manage individuals’ asset portfolios.
Dr. John lauriello, vice chair of psychiatry at the University of New Mexico, began his new roles at MU as chancellor’s chair of excellence in psychiatry and professor in July. Dr. Lauriello specializes in the diag-nosis and treatment of psychotic disorders, most notably schizophrenia.
Dr. Kristin Tate was hired to operate the Columbia branch of the Crane Clinic, which specializes in non-surgical treatment of ortho-pedic injuries.
Hal Williamson was named the permanent vice chancellor for the University of Missouri Health System after serving as interim vice chancellor since September 2008. The MU Health System comprises University of Missouri Health Care, the School of Medicine and University Physicians, the Sinclair School of Nursing and the School of Health Professions. Williamson has been on MU’s family medicine faculty since 1982.
Marybeth Gillum was appointed assistant vice president of the Central Bancompany Customer Service Center. The center manages all incoming calls for the company’s 13 community banks. Gillum manages 45 employees including those who serve as the company’s online banking service center. Gillum has been in the customer service field for more than 10 years. She was consumer relations manager for Salton Inc. before being promoted in 2006 to director of human resources. Gillum began with BCNB in 2007 as director of the cus-tomer service center.
MarchWord Marketing hired D.J. Daller as an associate partner. Daller
focuses on developing marketing solutions for businesses. He came to Word Marketing with 10 years of experience working in the broadcast industry in both the St. Louis and Columbia-Jefferson City markets.
Hemingway’s restaurant hired Jesse Williams as executive chef. Williams is a Columbia native who has worked for 15 years at various
restaurants, including CC’s City Broiler, Boone Tavern, Dali’s and Jack’s Gourmet.April
The YouZeum hired Dan Fowler as its director of development. Fowler is responsible for all fundraising duties for the YouZeum. Fowler has more than 15 years of experience in business development, including fundraising, banking, team development and budget and profit control. He most recently served as regional director of philan-thropy for World Learning, a global education organization. Previously, Fowler was the director of development for University of Missouri Children’s Hospital. He also served as a development officer for MU’s College of Engineering.
Central Trust & Investment Company announced the appoint-ment of Keith Schawo as vice president and relationship manager in Columbia. Schawo returned to Columbia after spending a year as the business development officer in Central Trust’s Springfield office. Schawo previously was assistant director of educational finance for smartFUNDS, a statewide student loan provider owned by Central Bancompany.
Word Marketing hired Marina Vilcu as marketing director. Vilcu returned to the Columbia market after spending time in St. Louis.
MayDr. Jerry Kennett joined Boone Hospital Center as vice president
and chief medical officer. Dr. Kennett continues to practice with the Missouri Cardiovascular Specialists while serving in his new Boone Hospital role. Kennett is board-certified in internal medicine, cardio-vascular diseases and interventional cardiology. Additionally, Dr. Kennett served on the BHC medical staff for 30 years.
Pure Marketing and Media added Mark Swanson to its team as chief creative officer. After spending time with major advertising agen-cies in New York and Chicago and promoting brands such as Coca-Cola, Kraft, Oscar Mayer and AOL, Swanson returned to Columbia in 2001.
JuneGina Mauller joined Pure Marketing and Media as vice president
of business development. Mauller served as the MU director of corpo-rate relations. Her main responsibility was to build relationships with Fortune 500 companies.
Craig Brace joined Pure Marketing and Media as chief operating officer and as president of Pure Health. Pure Health is a division of Pure that provides marketing, advertising and strategic solutions to hospitals, physicians and health care companies.
Jennifer Megee joined Providence Bank as vice president and retail banking manager. Her responsibilities include retail banking operations at the four bank locations in Columbia and Lincoln County. Megee has been in the banking industry for 15 years and has extensive experience in customer service, mortgage lending, sales and management.
Scott Hofferber joined University Physicians as executive director. University Physicians is the multi-specialty practice of more than 440 doctors affiliated with University of Missouri Health Care. From 1999
BEST OF PEOPLE On ThE MOVE 2009
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BEST OF PEOPLE On ThE MOVE 2009
Kennett Engle Mills Holman
to 2009, Hofferber served as chief operating officer of the University of California-San Diego Medical Group.
JulySteve Engle joined Pure Marketing and
Media as creative director and as president of Pure Ag, the agency’s new agribusiness divi-sion. During his 28-year agency career, Engle has worked on major accounts in a variety of industries.
John M. Miller was appointed treasurer for the University of Missouri System. He has more than 20 years of experience in the finan-cial sector, including serving as treasurer for several health care systems and as treasurer and interim chief financial officer for Florida International University.
The Heart of Missouri United Way board of directors announced Timothy Rich was named the interim executive director. Rich, who replaced Connie Benton Wolfe, has held leadership and development positions with several local nonprofit organizations including the Central Missouri Food Bank and the Salvation Army. In December, Rich was named executive director.
Frank Corridori joined Pure Marketing and Media as senior art director. Corridori comes to Pure after working for agencies in New York City, Phoenix and Scottsdale, Ariz.
AugustTracy lane has contracted with three local
nonprofit arts organizations. She was named executive director of Orr Street Studios, co-director of First Night Columbia and director of marketing and media relations for the True/False Film Festival. Lane is the former executive director of Thumper Entertainment.
Johanna Cox-litterel was named the new executive director of Columbia Locally Owned Retail & Services, or COLORS. She replaced Ginny Chadwick, who is the manager of the Cherry Hill Market & Cafe.
Michael Westerfield joined William Woods University as vice president and dean of grad-uate and adult studies. He comes to WWU from Rochester College in Michigan, where he was president for five years.
Rachel Talbott joined Rainbow House as development director. Talbott comes to Rainbow House from the American Red Cross as the donor recruiter for Boone County. She also worked as a community resource developer for the Central Missouri Food Bank.
SeptemberMark Mills was named the market manager
for the Cumulus Broadcasting radio stations in Columbia and Jefferson City. In this position, Mills manages Cumulus' local stations, which include News Talk 1400 KFRU, 100.1 The BUZZ, KOQL 106.1 and COOL 97.5. Mills began his radio career in 1972 in Butler, Mo., and joined Premier Marketing Group's Columbia radio sta-tions in 1995 for News Talk 1400 KFRU Radio.
Mills replaced Cumulus Market Manager/Vice President John J. Walker.
OctoberDan Johnson was named head of school for
Columbia Montessori School. Prior to this posi-tion, Johnson founded Kingfisher Academy in Atlanta where he served as academic director for the past 10 years.
Pickleman’s Gourmet Café hired Adrian McBride as the corporate development officer. McBride heads franchise marketing, branding and customer relations, among other duties.
Ernie Wren was promoted to assistant dean for adult higher education at Columbia College. Wren previously worked as a senior course review specialist for the college’s online campus. In the new position, Wren oversees stu-dent issues for the college's online and evening campuses, reviews student requests to return to school following a suspension or dismissal and administers credit for prior learning, among other duties. Wren joined Columbia College in 2000 as an adjunct instructor for the college's Moberly, Mo., campus.
Zim Schwartze was named the permanent director of Public Safety Joint Communications. Public Safety Joint Communications is the 9-1-1 public safety answering service that serves Columbia and Boone County emergency agen-cies. It also helps prepare for and coordinate responses to natural and man-made disasters.
KMIZ-TV, the ABC affiliate in mid-Missouri, hired Gene Steinburg as the station's new gen-eral manager. Steinburg replaced Randy Wright, who resigned from the station in August. Before coming to mid-Missouri, Steinburg worked as the station manager for a TV station in Boston.
Brian Neuner was hired as vice president of business development at Sundvold Financial. Neuner also works with Aflac and continues to represent the supplemental insurance company while working for Sundvold Financial.
Mike Downing was named the deputy directory of policy and finance of the Missouri Department of Economic Development. Downing left his position as director of Missouri Connecting Our Regional Economy. He had been with CORE since 2008.
The Columbia Housing Authority appointed Gay litteken the new director of housing voucher programs. CHA's Housing Voucher Programs provide housing to more than 1,100 families.
NovemberAmerenUE promoted Michael Holman from
assistant manager to manager of the Missouri Valley Division, which is based in Mexico, Mo. In the position, Holman, 50, supervises about 150 employees covering a 12,000-square-mile area with about 130,000 customers and opera-tion centers in Columbia, Boonville, Moberly, Kirksville and Excelsior Springs. v
Mauller
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PEOPLE yOu ShOuLD KNOW 2009 REvIEW
Most people don’t know that:A. My favorite artist is Bob Dylan. I am also the first person in my family to attend college. I won my first election to the House of Representatives by 67 votes out of more than 13,000 cast.
B. I am a sixth-generation Columbia-born native.
C. I attended an all-girls' boarding school, Westover School in Middlebury, Conn. There I was introduced to the studio arts and developed a love of pottery. It has served me well in entertaining, as I now have my own handmade bowls to display hors d'oeuvres in. I am hoping to get my hands back in clay this year.
D. I once aspired to be a Catholic priest and spent two years studying in a seminary.
E. I am a very competitive person. I can beat anyone in the Galaxa videogame. And I love Matthew McConaughey (hey-hey-hey)!
F. I just started playing the guitar and that I was born in Okinawa, Japan, while my dad was in the service.
G. I know some HTML code, basic Japanese and sometimes beat-box when I’m alone in my car.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.Gary Kremer Clint Zweifel Eric Staley Tony Mayfield Scott Wendling Jessica Kempf Valorie livingston David Stepanek
Test your People-You-Should-Know IQ. Match the quotes with the photos.
do You know these people now?
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PEOPLE yOu ShOuLD KNOW 2009 REvIEW
H. I am deathly afraid of snakes to the point that I will accidentally hurt someone trying to get away from the tiniest one.
I. I was invited to walk on to the MU baseball team — but didn’t. (My quarterbacking skills on a 1-9 high-school football team did not allow for any tiger football opportu-nities either.)
J. I spent four years in the U.S. Army in a military intel-ligence battalion. It was hard, but I learned much about the world and other people and cultures. Sometimes we forget just how fortunate we are.
K. 1) 1 was one of the founders of The Missouri Review and a radio voice on KOPN in the earliest days of its founding. 2) I taught karate classes at the university when I was young and limber. 3) I worked for Walt Girard
at the original Walt's Bike Shop when I first began graduate school. 4) I was once a competitive cyclist. 5) I once had hair. No. 4 and 5 are the hardest to believe, but a photo of me at age 16 in my team jersey can be found on the wall of Cycle Extreme — and it hasn't been Photoshopped.
l. I am a weather geek. I love the Weather Channel (Jim Cantori!) and even asked for a Weather Challenger jacket for Christmas (and got it, too). If I were proficient in science, I’d have to go to school for meteorology.
M. I went to college to be a vocal performance major with a goal of becoming a professional tenor. I raced four marathons (including the Boston Marathon) and have finished the Pike’s Peak Ascent half marathon twice. I play three musical instruments.
lABOR Columbia labor Force October 2009: 91,896October 2008: 92,340Change (#): -444Change (%): -0.5%
Missouri labor Force October 2009: 2,993,772October 2008: 3,004,883Change (#): -11,111Change (%): -0.4% Columbia Unemployment October 2009: 5,381October 2008: 3,997Change (#): 1,384Change (%): 34.6% Missouri Unemployment October 2009: 267,023October 2008: 188,923Change (#): 78,100Change (%): 41.3% Columbia MSA Unemployment Rate October 2009: 5.9%October 2008: 4.3%Change (#): 1.6%
Missouri Unemployment Rate October 2009: 8.9%October 2008: 6.3%Change (#): 3.6%
CONSTRUCTION
Building Permits – Residential November 2009: 133November 2008: 55Change (#): 78Change (%): 141.8% Value of Building Permits – Residential November 2009: $7,995,759November 2008: $2,377,604Change (#): $5,618,155Change (%): 236.3%
Building Permits – Detached Single Family Homes November 2009: 28November 2008: 11Change (#): 17Change (%): 154.5%
Value of Building Permits – Detached Single Family Homes November 2009: $5,938,000November 2008: $1,935,000Change (#): $4,003,000Change (%): 206.9%
Building Permits – Residential Additions/Alterations November 2009: 98November 2008: 44Change (#): 54Change (%): 122.7%
Value of Building Permits – Residential Additions/Alterations November 2009: $1,146,009November 2008: $442,604Change (#): $703,405Change (%): 158.9% Building Permits – Commercial November 2009: 19November 2008: 18Change (#): 1Change (%): 5.6% Value of Building Permits – Commercial November 2009: $1,301,050November 2008: $15,749,268Change (#): -$14,448,218Change (%): -91.7%
Building Permits – Commercial Additions/Alterations November 2009: 16November 2008: 13Change (#): 3Change (%): 23.1 %
Value of Building Permits – Commercial Additions/Alterations November 2009: $1,128,050November 2008: $1,145,077Change (#): -$17,027Change (%): -1.5%
HOUSINGBoone County Detached Single-Family HomesUnits Sold in Boone County – Detached Single Family Homes November 2009: 141November 2008: 79Change (#): 62Change (%): 78.5%
Volume of Sales in Boone County – Detached Single Family Homes November 2009: $19,487,150November 2008: $10,469,900Change (#): $9,017,250Change (%): 86.1%
COlUMBIA’S ECONOMIC INDICATORS
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Columbia economy signals turnaroundECOnOMIC InDEx
$45,000,000
$40,000,000
$35,000,000
$30,000,000
$25,000,000
$20,000,000
$15,000,000
$10,000,000
$5,000,000
$0Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov
Volume of Boone County House SalesJanuary Through November
20082009
Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sept Oct
8.00%
7.00%
6.00%
5.00%
4.00%
3.00%
2.00%
1.00%
0.00%
Columbia Metro Area Unemployment Rate
20082009
$160,000,000
$110,000,000
$60,000,000
$10,000,000
Value of Columbia’s Commercial Construction Permits January Through November
2008
2009
$166,682,614
$104,396,534
The fall of 2009 might go down in local history as the end of Columbia’s economic fall. The latest economic statistics show a rebound in Boone County’s housing market. The unemploy-
ment rate for the metropolitan area is back below 6 percent, the foreclosure rate is down and retail sales are higher than expected.
The number of people flying in and out of Columbia Regional Airport is the highest in nearly a decade, and the city’s primary employers — colleges, hospitals and property and casualty insurance companies — remain stable.
The most dramatic positive indicator is the housing market. The number of homes sold in November 2009 is slightly higher than in November 2006, a boom year, and the total value of the homes that sold is nearly as high as the same month three years ago. The number and value of building permits more than doubled in November compared with the same month a year ago. The housing market’s inventory level, or the absorption rate, is eight months, compared with nearly 16 months in November 2008.
In June and in July, retail sales tax revenue in the city was down more than 6 percent. But in August, retail sales tax revenue was higher than it was in August 2006. However, the September rev-enue was down again — nearly 5 percent compared with September 2008. It’s too early to know how local retailers will fare during the critical Christmas season. Collections during the holiday period will be recorded in February and March.
City officials expected they would have to take $1.7 million out of city reserves to balance the budget for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30. Instead, the dip was about $200,000, in part because revenue was down 2.4 percent rather than the 3 percent that was estimated.
One area of concern is commercial development, which is still lagging as the graphic below illustrates.
Some business analysts are calling this an “L-shaped recession” because the economy has been flat since it hit the bottom of a downturn. If the local indicators continue their upward movement, Columbia’s recovery could take the shape of a “U.” v
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City View
City Council “tasks” citizens with a new comprehensive planIn December 2009, the City Council
appointed a 15-member Comprehensive Plan Task Force to assist the Columbia Planning and Zoning Commission in the production of a new comprehensive plan and modernization of the city development codes by the end of fiscal year 2011. What does this mean for Columbia?
Comprehensive plan is a generic term for a gen-eral plan for the future physical development of a city. The plan has practical applications such as establishing future locations of trans-portation and utility corridors, recreational amenities, public buildings and grounds, pri-ority development and redevelopment areas and setting policies for the ongoing review of development, which reduces uncertainty and promote fairness in the development process.
Code modernization, in a nutshell, means bringing regulations such as zoning and sub-division ordinances into alignment with an up-to-date concept of the public interest that they protect. The plan lays the groundwork for the future codes; it identifies issues and rec-ommends general solutions through its policy framework, a portion of which is dedicated to innovations in the regulation of development.
Many cities “brand” their comprehensive planning campaigns, and therefore we see handles such as “Champaign Tomorrow,” “Ft. Collins City Plan: Changes and Choices,” “Destination Portsmouth” and “Shaping Sioux
Falls 2030” as often as the prosaic comprehen-sive plan or master plan. Many plans — what-ever they are called — are attractive publica-tions and serve to inform and advise. As long as Madison Avenue doesn’t completely over-whelm Main Street, the plan can be an effective marketing tool.
Comprehensive plans integrate but do not replace the many master plans and programs of the city for its utilities, transportation systems, housing and special areas such as the down-town. The community’s desire for integrated planning and coordination was made evident by several recommendations in the Imagine Columbia’s Future Vision Report. Government touches every aspect of living, working and doing business in Columbia, and we must integrate key parts of our master plans into one strategic plan that guides future growth and development in the city.
Finally, the activity of plan-making allows citizens a chance to engage with the city gov-ernment on the ground floor of policy devel-opment (metaphorically speaking as well as in the reality of the new Council chamber). Many citizens — and commission and council mem-bers, too — are passionate about issues and eager to discuss solutions but find it awkward to interject them into debates about the latest proposed zoning change and capital projects as they appear on the Council agenda. Similar to
the visioning initiative from which it emerges, the planning project creates venues for public discussion of the issues; setting of goals, objec-tives and policies; and mapping of the future in systematic order.
The task force will have a daunting task, but the City Council has appointed a talented and diverse group of citizens to take on the challenge. The group includes: Bob Black, Rex Campbell, Jack Clark, Scott Cristal, John Glenn, Daniel Goldstein, Lee Henson, Karl Kruse, Bonnie Maiers, David Overfelt, Richard Perkins, Edward Ricciotti, Jo Sapp, Jonathan Sessions and Shelley Simon.
The task force will join Chairman Jeff Barrow and commissioners Helen Anthony, David Brodsky, Ann Peters, Raman Puri, Steve Reichlin, Glenn Rice, Matt Vander Tuig and Doug Wheeler of the Planning and Zoning Commission in making the next City of Columbia comprehensive plan.
On behalf of the Planning and Development Department staff, I look forward to working with the Comprehensive Planning Task Force, the Planning and Zoning Commission and Columbia citizens on this important endeavor. v
Teddy is Columbia’s director of Planning and
Development
Tim Teddy
Al Germond
Al Germond is the host of the "Sunday
Morning Roundtable" every Sunday at 8:15
a.m. on KFRu. Al@columbiabusinesstimes.
com
From the Roundtable
long after “jumper” incident, pedestrian bridge still poses problemFor want of effective fencing along the
Providence Road pedestrian bridge over Interstate 70, the City of Columbia and its insur-ance underwriter had to dole out $300,000.
That’s the amount of the settlement with a man who was Tasered twice by police officers who were trying to stop him from jumping off the bridge to his death last year. The second, ill-conceived Taser shot caused the man to fall over the edge and suffer injuries that would have been far worse if he had made the jump himself.
The alternative to the settlement was to risk a potentially higher award and what could have turned into an ugly circus of a jury trial.
Insurance companies call it risk manage-ment, and if there ever was a case for managing risks, the Providence Road pedestrian overpass should have had an additional outside bar-rier the moment it was opened. Regretfully, a person with suicidal intentions usually finds a way to die. That was the case recently when an MU student leaped to his death from the Hitt Street garage, which has just a waist-high wall around the top floor.
In the Providence bridge incident last year, the "jumper" seemed to have decided he wanted to die on a Friday morning in July by taking a leap off the walkway onto the maelstrom of I-70.
Instead, he ended up with a tidy jackpot from the City of Columbia. Even after his attorney's cut, 300K is a pretty good haul for a few hours of "work" threatening a fatal plunge. On the other side of the ledger are the expenses billed by various
public safety agencies that had to deal with the mess, along with the incalculable costs racked up from closing a busy interstate highway for several hours and inconveniencing thousands of summer travelers and shippers.
Eighteen months later, as the photo accom-panying this column shows, there are still no protective barriers on the outside ends of the bridge. In fact, there are no such barriers on most of the I-70 overpasses across the state. Fences cost money but then so did the out-of-court "settlement" that cost the city and its insurer almost a third of a million dollars.
We taxpayers should be furious about this. The risks associated with every one of the I-70 overpasses within the city should require bar-riers that makes it harder for suicidal climbers to jump off of them.
Because it's the taxpayers’ money the city is dealing with, let's all inform the city about other high-risk situations from which costly settlements might come about if someone gets hurt or killed and a lawsuit is filed. Although the city and its insurance carriers conduct periodic risk-management reviews, citizens should become more vigilant and forthcoming about situations they believe to be risk-prone and inform City Hall.
One doesn't have to look too far for other risky situations. There’s a sharply angled downward stretch of concrete between the two Providence Road bridges. A cyclist, especially at night, could end up taking this route and plunge at full speed onto I-70, which would result in serious injury or perhaps even death. A fence between the two overpasses on
both sides of the interstate should go up imme-diately to reduce this risk to zero.
The motto "safe and sound" as it applies to the state's ongoing program of overpass improvements should take all potential risks into account. v
VOICES
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By Karl Kruse
In his Nov. 28 “From the Roundtable” column, Al Germond celebrated the Columbia City Council’s decision to reverse its long-standing policy of not permitting commercial advertising on city buses in exchange for negligible income. I disagree with Mr. Germond and believe there are several undesirable outcomes from pursuing such a change in policy.
As a former Council member and a regular bus rider, I appreciate the need to seek additional revenues, especially for under-funded and underappreciated city services such as the transit system. But is it worth revenue estimated at less than 1/10th of 1 percent of our transit system budget to open a Pandora’s box by allowing the commercialization — by private interests — of the public realm? That is, the use of taxpayer financed and owned property by private companies for profit. That’s where this change in policy takes us.
If it’s a good idea to permit ads on city buses, then why not permit ads on other public property? If on buses, why not bus shelters and benches (Mr. Germond has already suggested this)? If on buses, why not on utility poles, parking meters, park shelters, parking garages, public schools, the new City Hall, the historic Wabash Station and on and on down a long and slippery slope? And it doesn’t stop there.
Under the contracts with billboard companies being considered by the Council, certain advertising content would not be permitted, such as tobacco and alcohol products, political and religious ads and “adult entertainment.”
These kinds of prohibitions potentially set the stage for First Amendment challenges. In recent years, the Missouri Legislature tried to prohibit bill-board ads for “gentlemen’s clubs” but was thwarted because of First Amendment problems. In Boston, a federal appeals court recently ruled that the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority violated free speech rights by refusing to display ads from a group wanting to legalize marijuana. In Chicago, a suit contends that the Chicago Transit Authority rule baring bus ads for mature- and adult-only games vio-lates free speech rights.
Is Columbia prepared to mount the next expensive defense to permit the prohibition of such advertising?
What about the traffic hazard created by huge wraparound ads on buses? Because the primary purpose of off-premise outdoor advertising signs is to distract the driver’s attention from the road to the ad copy, Columbia’s sign regulations cite “pedestrian and traffic safety” as one of its many purposes. While the City limits private outdoor ads to enhance pedes-
trian and traffic safety, should it simultaneously create driver distractions with rolling ads on buses?
Finally, in the statewide election in November of 2000, Columbia citizens overwhelmingly sup-ported Proposition A to prohibit the placement of new “off-premise outdoor advertising signs” along federal and state highways in Missouri. With strong community support, the City Council had already limited billboards within the city limits. By selling ad space on buses, the city undermines the integrity of its billboard law. While we seek to limit and even prohibit billboard companies from erecting signs, we simultaneously engage in commercial off-premise outdoor advertising and even make money on it. I can tell you from experience that it’s a fairly good bet that the billboard industry will eventually use such a change in policy as grounds to attempt to overturn our current billboard regulations.
I urge the City Council and the citizens of our community to maintain the current policy prohib-iting commercial advertising on public property and avoid incurring substantial risks in exchange for minimal rewards. v
Reviving north central Columbia: the decade’s sleeper story
letter to the Editor
Commercial ads on city buses open pandora’s box
Mike Martin is a Columbia resident and
science journalist, Mike.martin@
weeklyscientist.com.
Mike Martin
VOICES
One hopeful story has quietly dominated the Columbia skyline for the past decade: the gradual rebirth of the North Central Village, a series of interconnected neighborhoods roughly bounded by Broadway and the Business Loop, College Avenue and Providence.
Just 20 years ago, three kinds of houses dotted this one-time victim of racial segrega-tion and inner-city despair: abandoned houses, drug houses and flophouses.
Now, after the slow inward migration of urban pioneers, a heavy dose of civic activism and a surge of historic preservation, the North Central Village is humming with new life, a new sense of purpose and hope for better times ahead.
Darwin’s vision
When Columbia Mayor Darwin Hindman leaves office next year, he’ll be remembered for a vision many say has helped define this com-munity: green space preservation with more parks; adaptive reuse with the MKT rail to trail; and sustainable living via a low-car, walk-and -peddle lifestyle.
If it were possible, I’d nominate four couples to take Darwin’s place, people who’ve con-tinued his vision but in a different way and where it was needed most — our lagging cen-tral city.
John and Vicki Ott have systematically restored more than a dozen historic but lifeless buildings from the downtown District to the southern end of the North Central Village, most recently the enormous Berry Warehouse.
Mark and Lotta Timberlake took old, rust-speckled warehouses in the North Central Village and with Orr Street Studios showed Columbia the true meaning of adaptive reuse.
Tom and Linda Atkins, among the earliest North Central business pioneers, restored a four-story shoe/propeller factory on Wilkes Boulevard, which now houses more than a dozen thriving businesses, including the Atkins Corporation.
And Brian and Joy Pape, the most pio-neering of the group, tackled Columbia’s second-largest successfully completed his-toric preservation project next to the Atkins shoe factory building: the falling-down Diggs meat-packing warehouse, which started life as a mule barn in the center of the North Central Village and will shortly house the Woodruff and Sweitzer ad agency.
All of this reminds of Darwin’s vision: pres-ervation, this time historic; adaptive reuse, this time with old buildings; and sustainable living, this time with the city’s first “green roof,” which Pape perched atop his now LEED-certified mule barn.
Public paradox
A powerful nod to private enterprise, the village renaissance is a public sector paradox.
Despite all the concern about crime and the social ills inner city decay breeds, local govern-ment has invested few real dollars in north central Columbia beyond those the federal government provides under the Community Development Block Grant program.
A one-person neighborhood response team that borrows from other city departments has certainly helped. But the team is chronically under-funded because they, too, rely almost solely on block grants, or fixed sums that don’t come from city coffers.
The one opportunity City Hall has had to invest real money in the neighborhood —
restoring the dilapidated but notably historic Heibel-March store — started 15 years ago and remains inexplicably stalled to this day.
The city government only recently installed proper sidewalks and drainage, and it did so because block grants were available.
When Pape got his whopping property tax bill for his mostly empty building this year, the message was clear and unfortunate: Despite the private sector’s neighborhood-transforming improvements, the public sector doesn’t get it — and doesn’t want to.
That’s too bad, because in ignoring neigh-borhood revitalization and penalizing trans-formative risk, our public servants lag their nationwide peers in recognizing that surround-ings matter, especially in dense urban settings.
We are the change
Nearly eight years ago, I started buying small old houses in the North Central Village — and only in the North Central Village. I saw the positive handwriting, writ large across the brick face of Columbia College, the Village’s most prominent corporate neighbor, and across the faces of residents who’ve helped make the transformation work.
Back then, most of the business pioneers hadn’t arrived. But hope was in the air. Longtime Village homeowners such as Don Choate, Betty Cook Rottmann, Lenore Danziger and Susan Taylor Glasgow were tirelessly upbeat.
There’s a change coming we can believe in, they said. And it isn’t Barack Obama, the gov-ernment or any political party.
The change we can believe in, it turns out, is us. v
United we stand; divided we fall.
Community CommerCe
Grocer’s Goal: revive neiGhborhood shoppinG
“A lot of times people come in and have a story to tell,” Coats said. “They don't stay long, just come in to tell their stories.”
Coats believes the story about his fledgling store can serve as an example for neighbors who hope to start their own businesses and thereby provide some economic stability in the low-income com-munity. This sentiment is reflected in the market's name, Unitee.
“We look at it as a piece of the whole community,” Coats said. “I feel that this is a start for people to feel more support for their neighbors, and once they see it can work, that we keep the doors open, they'll see that a small business can survive.”
Running the market is also a way to keep Coats’ family close. And, like any family, each of the businesses at 301 Sexton relies on the others for support.
Coats' nephew Mike Hill runs the Unitee Barber Salon next door, which shares the sidewalk and a roof with Unitee Market. Coats co-owns the building, and Freelon owns the market and runs Beauty Express Floral Boutique in a space on the side of the building. Dennis Coats, Bill Coats' younger brother, mans the register each day at Unitee Market.
“I think it's important if you can work with family and keep that bond, that love and that trust,” Bill Coats said. “More heads are better than one. Period. So here we work together to make it happen.”
But as any small-business owner will attest, staying in business is tough.
When Unitee Market opened in November 2008, it sold grocery items such as milk, bread and cheese. Too often these food items went unsold and spoiled. The market struggled with demand for basic grocery items. Now it sells few of them and relies instead on sales of standard convenience store items such as lottery tickets, sodas, candy and cigarettes. There's also a mix of frozen pizzas, pot pies and Banquet-brand frozen meals. Canned soups and vegetables sit on a shelf above charcoal briquettes, motor oil and cat food.
“When all is said and done, no one wants to take a loss,” Dennis Coats said.
One item the market refuses to sell is alcohol. Bill Coats said he doesn't want to create an environment where people only come in to buy beer and hang around; rather, he wants to respect the com-munity and run a store where everyone feels safe. Plus, the building on Sexton used to house Progressive Missionary Baptist Church be-fore it moved down the street to Banks Avenue. It was his mother’s church, so there's respect due for that, too.
Unitee Market continues to experiment with serving hot food and striking the balance between variety and the reality of what will sell.
On weekends last summer, Unitee Market served catfish, cole-slaw and spaghetti prepared by friends and served on the patio next to the floral shop. It's something they'll try again next summer, Coats said, and Unitee will start serving breakfast next year.
For now, a deli case beneath the front register is unlit and emp-ty. The market served deli-style sandwiches but stopped when they started the weekend meals. For now, even the revolving hot dog grill is idle.
The recession, which hit home as the store opened, has tem-pered business, Coats said. “People aren't buying much. ... It holds its own, the market here. But it's bad times to open up any busi-ness. We are surviving, and, if we can hold on a little longer, I think it's going to be OK. In the future we can make this grow.”
Paul Sturtz, co-founder of Ragtag Cinema and the City Council’s First Ward representative, said that small businesses such as Unitee Market “make the neighborhood a more livable place,” but he ac-knowledged the inherent difficulties of running a neighborhood market.
“Any business not located at one of the malls is going to face uphill challenges with traffic... and establishing a customer base,”
Sturtz said. “Carrying perishables like food makes it even more of a challenge.”
Currently, Unitee Market does not accept payments from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly called Food Stamps. Coats plans to start accepting Electronic Benefit Transfer food stamp payments in the future, which he predicts will drive more and more neighborhood residents to shop at his market. With a wider assortment of basic grocery items, Unitee will be a better option for residents who currently walk across Business Loop 70 to shop for groceries at Moser's, Coats said.
But meeting USDA requirements to accept EBT payments means carrying staple foods including grains, dairy, meats and produce — the same items Unitee currently has trouble selling.
The issue of First Ward resident access to grocery stores is not a new one. In October 2006, the Columbia City Council approved plans for a grocery store and apartment complex on land at the southwest corner of Garth Avenue and Sexton Road. But the plan never materialized.
Hill, who’s run his barbershop since 2003, said it helps that the family businesses at 301 Sexton can rely on one another for custom-ers and support to keep going. He said successful small businesses need to be a partnership between the operators and the commu-nity: “United we stand; divided we fall.” 4
Unitee ... continued from Page 1
"We are surviving, and, if we
can hold on a little longer, I think it's going to be OK. In
the future we can make this
grow."— Bill Coats
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United we stand; divided we fall.
Sturtz said. “Carrying perishables like food makes it even more of a challenge.”
Currently, Unitee Market does not accept payments from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly called Food Stamps. Coats plans to start accepting Electronic Benefit Transfer food stamp payments in the future, which he predicts will drive more and more neighborhood residents to shop at his market. With a wider assortment of basic grocery items, Unitee will be a better option for residents who currently walk across Business Loop 70 to shop for groceries at Moser's, Coats said.
But meeting USDA requirements to accept EBT payments means carrying staple foods including grains, dairy, meats and produce — the same items Unitee currently has trouble selling.
The issue of First Ward resident access to grocery stores is not a new one. In October 2006, the Columbia City Council approved plans for a grocery store and apartment complex on land at the southwest corner of Garth Avenue and Sexton Road. But the plan never materialized.
Hill, who’s run his barbershop since 2003, said it helps that the family businesses at 301 Sexton can rely on one another for custom-ers and support to keep going. He said successful small businesses need to be a partnership between the operators and the commu-nity: “United we stand; divided we fall.” 4
1. The sense of community is where Unitee market gets its name, explains Bill Coats. "The economy is so bad, so we gotta lean on each other. That's what makes the world go round is unity. It's about working together and community."
2. Unitee Market owner Vicki Freelon sweeps the floors at the end of the night. She, Mike Hill, Dennis and Bill Coats started the market two years ago as a a joint effort in meeting the local community's needs.
3. The school bus drops off 12-year-old Kayla Wingate at Unitee Market every day. There she hangs out with market staples Dennis and Bill Coats until her mom comes to pick her up. Sometimes she even gets free candy before going on her way.
4. From left, Dennis Coats, Jeffery Stemmons and Tommie Coats-Fredora enjoy one another's company and play dominoes at Unitee Market. Dominoes is a community favorite that gathers friends and neighbors at the local market.
5. Neighbor and patron Benjamin Bowman, left, sits down in Mike Hill's barber chair for his routine haircut. "I like coming here because it's a nice friendly environment, and I know all of the people," Bowman said. "We're a community," Hill adds. "I feel the barbershop is more than just a haircut; it's a place where people have good conversation and connect with each other."
6. Dennis Coats concentrates on his game of dominoes when he's not manning the register at Unitee Market.
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The neighborhood grocery: Looking to the past for a greener futureBy Leah Christian, MUEnvironmental Assistance Center
Fifty years ago, every neighborhood was dotted with small mom-and-pop grocery stores that provided friendly, personalized service. Expanding expressways, plentiful gasoline, the ever-burgeoning presence of automobiles, sub-urban flight and other factors turned consumers toward large centralized stores. So neighbor-hood grocery stores have gone the way of local tailors. More than 100,000 small retailers have closed in the past 20 years and been replaced by big box stores.
But big stores (some with more than five acres of shelf space) don't fit into everyone's picture of a greener future. Concerned about food safety, factory farms and their own environmental foot-print, many consumers are returning to the past.
The modern neighborhood grocery offers lo-cally grown produce, milk, eggs, meat and other products that support area farmers and reduce the transportation required to get food from field to fridge. It is these unique qualities that have helped foster a re-emergence of small stores in an era dominated by big-store competition.
The small Columbia grocery The Root Cellar, owned by Walker Claridge and Kimberly Griffin, opened in 2002 and has been an informa-tional resource for other small groceries, includ-ing D&D Main Street Market in Jefferson City and Local Harvest in St. Louis.
"I feel that my role as a local food purveyor is also that of an educator,” Griffin said. “I want to edu-cate other businesses and especially my custom-ers. I'm the middleman between the farmer and the consumer. When a person buys food that comes from 3,000 miles away, even if it's certi-fied organic, you still can't know what the grow-ing practices truly are. It's different when you know the farmers and buy directly from them."
One of the services that The Root Cellar pro-vides for its customers is a combined approach to Community Supported Agriculture. CSAs are ways for people to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer. Customers purchase a "share", which gives farmers cash flow early in the season, and then the customers can collect a box of produce weekly throughout the season.
One complaint with some CSAs is that share-holders will often get a whole lot of the same kind of food. At the Root Cellar, customers are able to buy into a group of CSAs and are pro-vided with a weekly box of mixed produce from several local farms. Also, instead of paying a large sum at the start of the growing season, members can pay for the food weekly.
"Customers are always happy with the vari-ety of fresh, local produce," Griffin said.
Another small, locally owned grocery busi-ness in Columbia is Clovers Natural Market, which has a store near the intersection of Forum Boulevard and Chapel Hill Road and one on East Broadway, across from Stephens Lake Park and beside another small grocery store that's been in business since the early 1960s, Eastgate Foods.
Clovers sells organic produce along with gourmet and specialty products, including
coffees, teas, vitamins, herbs and books and magazines on healthy living.
Damon Northweather, who owns D&D Main Street Market in Jefferson City with his wife, Dana, said that their market is for people “who don’t want to shop at big, anonymous stores. We started providing produce because people would come in for it. They stop by on a walk through the neighborhood or on the drive home from work.
"We have knowledge of our product that you're not going to find at a bigger store. Our prices compare, too. I've shopped at bigger stores, and there's a misconception that their prices are so much lower. From what I've seen, that just isn't true."
The Northweathers owned a garden shop on the city's outskirts for four years, but their move to the Jefferson City neighborhood of West Main Street last April changed the whole dynamic of the store — and the neighborhood.
"The neighbors are happy that we took over a rundown gas station," said the Northweathers. The Main Street Market is quickly becoming an integral part of the community and hosts eve-ning block parties, watermelon seed spitting contests and jack o' lantern carving.
"We feature local musicians every week, weather permitting, and we gave out candy for Halloween," Dana Northweather said.
St. Louis also supports neigh-borhood gro-ceries. Maddie Ernest, who has owned Local Harvest with Patrick Hormine
for more than two years, said: "I just knew our store would be successful. The time is right, and people are interested in local food and busi-ness. Not everyone wants the mega-shopping experience."
Local Harvest is part of the community. It is located in the Tower Grove neighborhood of south St. Louis on Morgan Ford, a street that boasts many small businesses.
Customers of neighborhood groceries are of-ten environmentally conscious, though access to stores affects who shops where. Many of the Root Cellar's customers walk or bike to the store. "It might not seem like there is a neighborhood downtown, but there are a lot of people who live in lofts over the stores, and those people use our store,” Griffin said. “If they weren't coming here, they'd probably just be walking to a convenience store. I'd like to think that they are all making a conscious choice to buy local food, but that just isn't always the case. Easy access makes a difference."
As city centers are revitalized, the need for smaller, centrally located groceries is likely to grow. The big box stores that serve large geo-graphic areas might have to rethink their busi-ness plans.
As for the mom-and-pop groceries, Griffin has a plan: "I've never needed a bigger store. I would just like to open a lot of smaller stores in different neighborhoods. This is more of what our community needs." v
This story was featured in the November 2009 newsletter.
"We have knowledge of our product that
you're not going to find at a bigger store."
-Damon Northweather, owner of D&D Main Street Market
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Regional Economic Development Inc. is con-sidering whether to move back downtown and become the anchor tenant on the ground floor of the city parking garage at Sixth and Walnut streets that's in the early stages of construction.
REDI President Mike Brooks and City Manager Bill Watkins discussed the idea dur-ing the City Council's winter retreat on Dec. 12. Brooks said REDI assigned a task force to study the option. In September 2007, REDI moved from the Chamber of Commerce offices on Providence Road to Campus View Drive, along South Providence Road.
Watkins said the city is also encouraging the University of Missouri to set up a small-busi-ness development office in the commercial floor of the parking structure and is looking into the
feasibility of making office space available as an incubator for startups. Another step being con-sidered is to move the city parking office from the basement of the Howard Building to the new parking garage.
The parking garage was designed to have seven stories of parking and a ground floor with office and retail space. There are nine rent-al spaces allocated for the ground floor, which range from 2,302 square feet to 1,226 square feet.
The city wanted to bring in a private devel-oper to finish the interior construction on the 13,000-square-foot ground floor and sublease the space for commercial tenants. However, no one bid on the city's proposal. v
REDI might move to new city parking garage
Renderings courtesy of City of Columbia
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SPECIAL SECTION | Year iN review
Top Stories 2009Highlights of major happenings affecting the business community
Jan. 1Dr. Timothy Fete starts as the chairman and
medical director of MU Children’s Hospital. MU decided last year to move the Children’s Hospital to Columbia Regional Hospital and consolidate all pediatric operations there. Renovations began May 28 and are expected to finish next summer.
Jan. 12Jay Nixon
is sworn into office as Missouri’s 55th governor. At his i n a u g u r a t i o n Nixon issues ex-ecutive orders af-fecting business d e v e l o p m e n t , including one that expands the Missouri Quality Jobs Program.
Jan. 28
Funds from the Missouri H i g h e r Education Loan Authority are s u s p e n d e d , which results in the loss of $51.2 million previ-ously allocated for MU. The ma-jority of MU’s funding was to be used to build a new Ellis Fischel Cancer Center.
Feb. 10Construction
of the north-ern extension of Providence Road begins. This project and the widening of nearby Range Line Street this year were de-signed to im-prove trans-portation to and from the burgeoning north side of the city. The Providence extension opened in November, and Range Line’s completion cer-emony was held in December.
March 28The MU men’s basketball team plays in the
Elite Eight tournament. After a school record of 31 wins, the Tigers lose to Connecticut 82-75 in the tournament. The success of the football and basketball teams during the 2008-09 school year
is linked to increased admission along with in-creased attendance, which boosts local economic activity.
March 30 Ken Burton, head of the police force in a
small Texas town, is sworn in as Columbia’s police chief. Burton embarks on an ambi-
tious plan to mod-ernize the police de-partment, improve communication and reduce crime, partic-ularly in the down-town area.
April 7Realtor Jason
Thornhill wins the Second Ward seat on the City Council, which was left vacant by the retirement of 18-year incum-bent Chris Janku.
He beats opponent Allan Sharrock by 29 votes. Sixth Ward R e p r e s e n t a t i v e Barbara Hoppe is re-elected. The City Council continues to have a tense relation-ship with the devel-opment community.
April 20City Council ap-
proves construction of an eight-story parking garage at Fifth and Walnut streets with a ground flood allocated for of-fice and retail tenants.
April 23AmerenUE sus-
pends its plan to build a second nuclear reac-tor in Callaway County after the Missouri Senate declines to re-peal a law that prohibits utilities from charging customers for power plants during construc-tion. A compromise drafted by Sen. Kurt Schaefer of Columbia
stalled. The largest construction project in Missouri's history would have employed an es-timated 2,500 contractors for six years and 400 permanent employees.
April 26The Central Missouri Humane Society is
announced as the winner of Zootoo.com's $1 million animal shelter makeover competition,
February: Providence Road construction
March: Ken Burton, right, and Tom Dresner, left
April: Jason Thornhill, left, and Jerry Wade
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which intensified public interest in the organization. After negative publicity, Patty Forister resigns as the executive director of the Central Missouri Humane Society on Nov. 20.
May 1Midway Electric, owned by Brandon and Michele
Spry, wins the Columbia Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business of the Year Award.
May 6Linda Martinez, state director of the Missouri
Department of Economic Development, announces Ewing Industrial Park as the first “shovel-ready” site recognized by the Missouri Certified Site program. The privately owned site is located off of Route B. May 12
Boone Hospital Center holds a groundbreaking ceremony for an eight-story patient-care tower on William Street. The tower is scheduled to open in late spring 2011. Another multi-story construction project, the City Hall addition, continues in 2009, and parts of the building, including the Council meeting space, will open in January.
May 14 Amid plummeting sales in the U.S. auto industry,
Chrysler takes away Larry Estes’ Dodge dealership on Vandiver Drive. The 11 Columbia dealerships sold far fewer new and used vehicles in the first half of the year, but the Cash for Clunkers program helps boost sales.
May 17 The Columbia Police Department’s new downtown
unit starts patrolling. It’s a first step in Burton’s plan for geographic policing, which will create sub-stations in four regions of Columbia. Burton also supports a nighttime curfew for Columbia's younger residents, an issue expected to surface in 2010.
May 20 Midwest CompuTech wins the CBT Entrepreneur
of the Year award. Peak Performance Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine is the runner-up. Nikki Reynolds, owner of End of the Rainbow child-care center, wins the CBT Young Entrepreneur of the Year award. Mills Menser, president and owner of Buchroeder’s, is the runner-up.
June Six banks with branches in the Columbia area re-
ceive money in the federal bailout: Bank of America, U.S. Bank, Regions Bank, Hawthorn Bank, Landmark Bank and Mainstreet Bank of Ashland.
The unemployment rate in the Columbia metropol-itan area hits 6.9 percent, well above the 4.6 percent jobless rate in June 2008.
City Manager Bill Watkins appoints Mike Brooks to be Columbia’s economic director and REDI president. Watkins announces Brooks will begin work on July 15.
June 2Dianne Lynch begins her job as the Stephens
College president.
July July marks the first time in 2009 that housing sales
increased in Boone County compared with the same month in 2008.
July 21City Council approves tax-increment financing
funding for the first time on two downtown proj-ects — Tiger Hotel renovations and construction of a mixed-use building developed by the Odle brothers. The Odles tell the city on Nov. 24 they are canceling their project because of the anemic economy.
July 30 The Warren Funeral Chapel settles a lawsuit that
causes it to shut down because of unsanitary condi-tions. On Nov. 17, Harold Warren Sr. pleads guilty to several violations, including giving the wrong cremat-ed remains to three families.
Aug. 25MU begins the school year with its second-largest
incoming freshmen class and total enrollment up 4 percent from last year. Other enrollment increases at Columbia campuses: William Woods University, 25 percent; Columbia College, 6 percent; Central Methodist University, 19 percent; Stephens College, 1 percent; and Moberly Area Community College, 8 percent.
Aug. 27After 15 years as mayor, Darwin Hindman an-
nounces he won’t run for re-election. On Sept. 15, Fourth Ward Councilman Jerry Wade announces he’ll run for mayor. Eastside Tavern owner Sal Nuccio en-ters the race on Oct. 13, followed by Sid Sullivan on Oct. 21 and Paul Love on Oct. 28.
Sept. 8City Manager Bill Watkins announces he’s asked
J. Kraig Kahler’s to resign as Columbia’s director of Water & Light because his family problems were get-ting in the way of his work. On Nov. 28, Kahler’s wife, two teenage daughters and his wife’s grandmother are shot in the grandmother’s home in Kansas. Kahler is later charged with all four murders.
Sept. 25-36Tens of thousands of music fans attend the third-
annual Roots ’N Blues ’N BBQ Festival, the first to charge admission.
May: Larry Estes, left, with George Madison
April: Callaway expansion plans shelved.
June: (l to r): Bob Black, Mike Brooks and Mike Downing
June: Dianne Lynch at Stephens
September: Kraig Kahler asked to resign
September: Roots 'N Blues 'N BBQ
(continued on Page 18)
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SPECIAL SECTION | Year iN review
Oct. 5ABC Labs announces a plan to build a
10,000-square-foot addition on the main build-ing of the original campus. The original campus is located off of I-70 on Route Z and houses its chemical division.
Oct. 19City Council approves the Columbia
Regional Airport master plan amid a resurgence in passenger service. The plan includes repav-ing and extending the runways. The traffic at Columbia Regional Airport is now the highest it's been since 2000, and on average 80 percent of the seats are filled on the three daily flights to and from Memphis International Airport. On Dec. 18, Delta announces it will replace one of the turboprop planes with a larger jet.
Oct. 23The filing period for City Council candidates
begins. Sarah Read, Tracy Greever-Rice and Rich Buford announce intentions to run for the Fourth Ward seat being vacated by Jerry Wade. Third Ward Representative Karl Skala files for re-election with no apparent challengers.
Oct. 26Gov. Jay Nixon announces $204 million in
spending cuts to the state’s budget. An estimat-ed 700 jobs are eliminated.
Nov. 2City Council tables the Richland Road pro-
posal, a plan to annex 271 acres east of the city for commercial and residential zoning.
Nov. 6Jeff MacLellan, CEO of Landmark Bank, an-
nounces he will retire at the end of 2009 and that he will be replaced by Chief Operating Officer Kevin Gibbons.
Nov. 10A new Hy-Vee store opens at Providence
Road and Nifong Boulevard. A new Moser’s opens on Range Line Street earlier in the year, and Schnucks remodels as grocery store compe-tition intensifies.
Nov. 17 Gov. Jay Nixon proposes a deal for the second
straight year to not decrease funding for pub-lic colleges and universities if their tuition cost doesn’t increase above the rate of inflation.
Nov. 26
Gwen Robbins files a lawsuit against the YouZeum after resigning as its director and al-leges breach of contract. The YouZeum was ex-pected to have approximately 60,000 visitors a year but by October has only had 35,000 visitors, which prompted questions about its ability to survive. vNovember: New Hy-Vee opens along with
a new Moser's store..
October: Airport's master plan approved
Year In Review ... continued from Page 17
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By Abby Rogers
The annual Business Showcase will feature one big surprise this year, along with several changes designed to boost attendance.
The Chamber of Commerce event on April 6 will feature a well-known speaker rather than several seminars, which organiz-ers believe will increase participation.
“The big reason was the interest in the seminars had dropped, and we thought bringing in a big known-name speaker would attract more folks and be more appealing to more people,” said Robert Quinn, co-chair of the event and an assistant vice president at Boone County National Bank.
Lili Vianello, co-chair and president of Visionworks Marketing & Communications, said they were looking for ways to revitalize the event, which led them to go with one big-name speaker.
“We’re making a major investment to bring him in for the vital-ity of the event,” Vianello said.
The Chamber will announce the name of the speaker in January, Vianello said.
“This national speaker will draw attention to the showcase that we don’t think we’ve ever had before,” Quinn said.
In another change this year, seminar booths will be closed for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. to give those working at the booths a chance to hear the speaker. Each exhibitor will also be given one free lun-cheon ticket.
“It will hopefully help the people in the booths to take advantage of everything the showcase has to offer,” Quinn said.
Showcase organizers are also working with local orga-
nizations to provide special activities. During the afternoon mixer, the Columbia Business Times will announce the Titan Award recipi-ents, and the Women’s Network will announce the Athena Award finalists.
The showcase will close at 5 p.m., which is 45 minutes earlier than previous events. Quinn said the decision to close the show-case early was based on feedback sponsors received last year and advice they received from Gerke & Associates, a management-consulting firm.
The showcase attendance typically is around 1,700. Vianello said organizers are hoping to draw an extra 500 people for the 2010 showcase. v
Showcase to feature “big-name speaker”
“This national
speaker will draw
attention to the
showcase that we
don’t think we’ve ever
had before.”
- robert Quinn
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PUBLiC RECORDDeeds of trust $204,250 + Dec. 7
LEES, LARRY APROVIDENCE BANKLT 1 PT BL 1 BEAR CREEK SUB$670,000 MU DEUTERON FRATERNAL CORPCOMMERCE BANKLT 63 PT LA GRANGE PLACE$555,000 ANDERSON, BRIAN M & ANGELA JHAWTHORN BANKSTR 4-46-12 /S/SW SUR BK/PG: 3040/107 AC 12.840$417,000 PASLEY, JAMES R & LOUAINE MMETLIFE HOME LOANSLT 32 OAKWOOD HILLS SUB BLK 5$412,500 PASLEY, JAMES R & LOUAINE MSECRETARY OF HOUSING & URBAN DEVELOPMENTLT 32 OAKWOOD HILLS SUB BLK 5$412,500 GUILFORD, STACY WADEDAS ACQUISITION CO. LLCSTR 13-47-12 /E/NE SUR BK/PG: 937/403 AC 10.070$392,200 FARBER, DAVID B & MARIE ABOONE COUNTY NATIONAL BANKLT 377 THORNBROOK PLAT NO 12$356,000 DAUGHERTY, SCOTT & LISALANDMARK BANKLT 50 BOONE'S POINTE$351,000
DOAK, REBECCA REVOCABLE TRUST THELANDMARK BANKLT 19 GRASSLANDS SUB BLK15$330,700 WILLEY, JOHN MICHAELMID AMERICA BANK & TRUST CO.LT 109 LEXINGTON SQUARE CONDOS$308,593 MYERS, DANNY & MOLLYUS BANKLT 330 THORNBROOK PLAT NO 10$252,000 JOHN HANSMAN HOMES LLCLANDMARK BANKLT 144 BELLWOOD PLAT NO 1$249,900 DICKENS, EUODIA FBANK OF AMERICASTR 14-45-12 /NE/NE SUR BK/PG: 3542/51 FF LOT 6A$241,500 DICKENS, EUODIA FSECRETARY OF HOUSING & URBAN DEVELOPMENTSTR 14-45-12 /NE/NE SUR BK/PG: 3542/51 FF LOT 6A$241,500 KRAWITZ, NATALIE M & AARON DLANDMARK BANKLT 23 BL 2 QUARRY HEIGHTS$240,000 JOHN HANSMAN HOMES LLCLANDMARK BANKLT 106 BELLWOOD PLAT NO 1$239,900
COLES, GARY J & PATRICIA MCINTOSHBOONE COUNTY NATIONAL BANKLT 46 CHAPEL HILL ESTATES PLAT1$238,500 J S GERAU PROPERTIES LLCLANDMARK BANKLT 31 EASTPORT GARDENS PLAT 1$230,400 VINCENT, TIMOTHY P & SWAN, LISA FALLIED MORTGAGE GROUP INC.LT 11 WYNFIELD MEADOWS PLAT 2$223,378
ESTES, JAMES R & SARA SBOONE COUNTY NATIONAL BANKLT 19 PT PHENORA SUB$217,626 PARNELL, MICHAEL D & DEBORAH KAYMISSOURI CREDIT UNIONLT 22 CASCADES PLAT 1 THE $215,650
OSBORNE, DAVID P & LEIGH ABOONE COUNTY NATIONAL BANKLT 2 CUNNINGHAM CORNERS$206,000 MINIEA, D SCOTT & MCCURREN, BRIAN LLANDMARK BANKLT 12 STRATFORD CHASE$204,517 FREVERT, MAX W & JILL EMISSOURI CREDIT UNIONLT 189 BELLWOOD PLAT NO 1$204,250
PUBLiC RECORDDeeds of trust $228,779 + Dec. 14
ANALYTICAL BIO-CHEMISTRY LABORATORIES INC.LANDMARK BANKSTR 11-48-12 /N/NE SUR BK/PG: 837/626 AC 45.418$4,248,530 LIVE WELL PROPERTIES LLCBANK OF MISSOURI THELT 2 CREEK POINTE SUBDIVISION PLAT NO 2$3,335,000 3 FORUMS LLCLANDMARK BANKLT 1A PT NORTH 63 INDUSTRIAL PARK$1,440,000 SCHAEFER, KURT U & STACIA LBANK OF MISSOURI THESTR 8-47-13 /SW/SE AC 10.87$520,000 WALKER, RAYMOND W IV & YOUNG-WALKER, LAINE MCOMMERCE BANKSTR 8-47-12 /NW/SE SUR BK/PG: 513/621 AC 10.000$417,000 THOMPSON, LEE H & JOYCE JCALLAWAY BANK THELT 8 FALL CREEK PLAT 1$407,600 COLUMBIA PRIDE INC.BANK OF MISSOURI THELT 201 ARCADIA PLAT 2-A$390,000 PETRIE, ARTHUR RICE & DENA MARIEMID AMERICA MORTGAGE
SERVICES INC.LT 150 VILLAGE OF CHERRY HILL PLAT 1 THE$340,000 DIVINE, PHILIP & CONNIEUS BANKSTR 35-51-12 /NE/NW SUR BK/PG: 1153/765 AC 10.000$306,300 MACK, MARVIN L & RAMONA AWELLS FARGO BANKLT 171 THORNBROOK PLAT 6$300,466 PETERSEN, ALAN W & JODI LWELLS FARGO BANKSTR 27-49-14 //NW SUR BK/PG: 1977/645 AC 10.050$297,254 RANDOL, MELISSA KALLIED MORTGAGE GROUP INC.LT 18 CEDAR GROVE SUB$297,200 KIRCHHOFF REVOCABLE LIVING TRUST THEBOONE COUNTY NATIONAL BANKSTR 9-47-13 //NW SUR BK/PG: 564/683 AC 6.570$295,500
SPENCER, SEAN GBOONE COUNTY NATIONAL BANKLT 16 ALAMO PLACE$289,045
DAMERON, MATTHEW & JENNIFERBOONE COUNTY NATIONAL BANKLT 130 THORNBROOK PLAT #5$283,500
POPPA, MATTHEW & REBECCAHAWTHORN BANKLT 12 GANS CREEK SUB PLAT1 BLK 1$274,182
BENARD, BRUCE & LAURA LEEWELLS FARGO BANKLT 122 CASCADES PLAT 1 THE$272,816 KREMER, NICHOLAS & ASHLEYFLAT BRANCH MORTGAGE INC.LT 146 VINEYARDS PLAT NO 1 THE$251,227 TYE, DAVID A & LISA ACOMMERCIAL TRUST CO.LT 54 PT WESTWOOD ADD$250,000 KAYSER, THOMAS M & LISA EHAWTHORN BANKSTR 13-48-13 //SW$250,000 VILLASANA, MATTHEW & JILLBOONE COUNTY NATIONAL BANKLT 16 STRATFORD CHASE$245,000 EILERS, RONALD A & CAROLE APROVIDENT FUNDING ASSOCIATES LPLT 1413 JOHNSON FARMS PLAT 1$240,000 CRAWFORD, JOHN T IIIALLIED MORTGAGE GROUP INCLT 111 OAK RIDGE PLAT 1$235,653 MEYER, NICHOLAS A & LAURA GWELLS FARGO BANKLT 86 WOODLANDS PLAT 4A THE$233,459 JONES, TOMMY W & DAWN LFLAT BRANCH MORTGAGE INC.LT 7 PL 2 COTTONWOOD HILL$228,779
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COLUMBIA’S ECONOMIC INDICATORSMedian Price of Home Sales November 2009: $135,000November 2008: $136,500Change (#): -$28,460Change (%): -17.4%
Contributors include: Lori Fleming, Karen Johnson, Sean Moore, Linda Rootes, Sarah Talbert and Carol Van Gorp Compiled by David Walle
City targets third shovel-ready siteBy David Reed
At their winter retreat, City Council mem-bers expressed support for City Manager Bill Watkins' plan to buy a 214-acre tract along the Route B industrial corridor to develop as Columbia's third "shovel-ready" industrial site.
The property is on the northeastern corner of Route B and Waco Road between Kraft Foods and the city landfill. Watkins estimated the pur-chase price would be about $4 million, but he said Dec. 13 that he'll negotiate with the land-owner and come back to Council with a contract proposal for the members to consider.
Watkins said the landowner is receptive to selling a 114-acre tract — the eastern portion that would buffer the landfill — for $1 million and
giving the city the option of buying the western portion for an additional $3 million at any point during the following five years.
The city would seek to get the land designat-ed as a state-certified site and make it available for industrial users. The certification is a draw for recruiting industries because the necessary infrastructure and zoning would be in place. In addition, the Certified Industrial Site Program provides, under certain conditions, tax breaks
and other financial incentives for property de-velopers who are creating industrial jobs.
There is already a state-certified, privately owned "shovel-ready" site along Route B, the Ewing Business Park, that is targeting data cen-ter developers and a second industry-ready site along Route Z on the north side of Interstate 70, the Mid-Point Business Park, owned by the Columbia Area Jobs Foundation.
Fifth Ward Council Representative Laura Nauser said the Council's support would dem-onstrate the members are friendly to economic development, and the timing would be good be-cause land prices are relatively low.
Several Council members said they particu-larly liked one aspect of the plan: About half of the land, heavily wooded and sloped, would be used as a buffer between the industrial corridor, Hinkson Creek and the city landfill.
"We could have economic development and environmental protection at the same time," Sixth Ward Representative Barbara Hoppe said.
The property, referred to as the Sutter site, is owned by a California-based trust set up by members of the Henrikson family who inherited the land from two sisters named Sutter.
The city wrote a letter to Geoffrey Henrikson, which was dated Dec. 1 and signed by the trust-ee, which expressed its intent to acquire the property and the proposed terms.
Watkins said he was interested in buying the property for industrial use back in the early 1990s when he was the city’s director of econom-ic development, but the owners were not inter-esting in selling. v
The certification is a draw for
recruiting industries because
the necessary infrastructure and
zoning would be in place.
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By Jonathan W. Crowell
After selling fine wines, spirits and cigars at a downtown shop for a quarter century, George Liggett and his wife and business partner decid-ed to share another one of their passions — fine cuisine — and opened Grand Cru on New Year’s Eve 1999.
The restaurant, named after the French ex-pression for a vineyard producing high-volume, high-quality wine, will celebrate its 10th anni-versary on New Year’s Eve with a ribbon-cut-ting ceremony and party. In January, the entre-preneurs will mark the one-year anniversary of their adjacent cigar lounge and relocated to-bacco shop.
The roots of the combined venture go back to the 1960s and ’70s, when Liggett and Timothy Flynn traveled to antique shows across the coun-try and discovered high-quality cigars and rare wines, which they later introduced to Columbia through The Nostalgia Shop.
“It became a network-building thing that seemed to happen naturally through all our travels,” Liggett said. “From Napa Valley in California to Washington D.C., we developed an appreciation for those finer things.”
The lease for The Nostalgia Shop on Walnut Street was up at the end of 2007, and Flynn said they had to decide whether to keep “two sepa-rate locations. It made sense to bring everything together under one roof.”
Mariel Liggett, a CPA at Williams-Keepers, said the consolidation “helps create efficiencies and economies of scale. It’s more synergetic.”
George Liggett added the human element: “A restaurant environment is relaxed anyway, but it’s also a good one for talking business, par-ticularly in the cigar lounge. Defenses are down, and it sets a good tone to smooth things out with a glass of scotch in one hand and a cigar in the other. Conversations take on a more natural flow.”
Because of the smoking ban that passed in 2006, their lounge is one of the few places within the city limits where people can eat, smoke and drink at one indoor location.
Regular patrons include local business, com-munity and academic leaders as well as many Missouri politicians, including U.S. Sen. Kit Bond.
“It’s just a fun place to hang out and relax,” said U.S. District Judge Stephen Limbaugh of Cape Girardeau. v
Grand Cru turns 10Cigar lounge, relocated Nostalgia Shop, provide synergy
aBOVE: Co-owner of The Nostalgia Shop Tim Flynn organizes cigars in the humidor. "We have one of the largest humidors in the Midwest with hundreds of different brands, sizes and flavors of cigars from all over the world," Flynn said.
lEFT, TOP: C.T. Souder converses with Tim Flynn as he enjoys his favorite cigar, la Gloria Cubana, at The Nostalgia Shop. "I usually come out on my day off and pick up my weekly supply," said Souder. "I usually have a cigar every day after work."
lEFT, BElOW: a customer relaxes with his newspaper by the fire in the Diamond Crown lounge at The Nostalgia Shop.
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Mariel and George liggett and General Manager Dan Paulsell
