OPINION|
Answer Man: What's with the pile of large stones (now water feature) on the north side of Sunshine between Oak Grove and Lone Pine? Where did they come from? Who turned it into a water feature? (Which I think is very cool.) Also, what was the purpose of the construction along the front of SRC? — Bob Bryant, unincorporated Greene County
The precise answer, the one in response to your specific question, is that the water feature on SRC Holdings property on Sunshine was built by Fitz Water Design, of Reeds Spring.
The large stones are not local. They were not unearthed, as you thought they might have been, Bob, during the recent digging and construction work at SRC along Sunshine.
In fact, the stones are from out-of-state, says Cliff Fitzwater.
(See what he did there with his name and the company name? )
His company bought the big rocks from a business in Clinton, Arkansas, which unearths them right there in Clinton.
Before I move on, I have made a decision. I will call what SRC refers to as a “water feature” a “waterfall.”
That's what it looks like to me. And from my perspective, a “water feature” in my backyard could include a running hose.
The rocks are about 8 feet high. The water cascades and then flows north — away from Sunshine — along a 25-yard manmade channel and then recirculates. It's nice.
Here's the big $100 million picture
Now, here's the big $100 million picture. It's courtesy of Dick Moger, executive vice president of SRC Holdings Corp., an equipment company based in Springfield.
(Editor's note: SRC is a founding corporate partner of the Hauxeda)
The waterfall is but one small step in a project that is a giant leap for SRC.
SRC has started an estimated $100 million in expansion, development and diversification at its several sites in Springfield, including the 43 acres off of Sunshine.
The waterfall is SRC's way of informing the Queen City that something big is brewing.
“We wanted to let people know we are starting,” Moger tells me.
The work at Sunshine will be done in three phases and should be complete by 2030. The development will include retail/commercial and office space.
Phase 1 of how the property's transformation will take place will be on acreage close to the waterfall, fronting Sunshine. It will be retail and commercial.
“This is prime real estate for retail,” Moger says.
The company will build-to-suit for any specific company that commits to locating there, he says.
SRC will be renting and leasing, not selling.
“We're not selling anything,” Moger adds.
SRC will be the landlord throughout this expansion and diversification.
Jack Stack, CEO of the company, said a year ago in Biz 417 magazine that there will be a growing national employee shortage as Baby Boomers exit the workforce. Workers will be hard to find.
One advantage of being a landlord, he said then, is that it's not labor intensive.
If all goes well, a new trail will be built along tracks
The eastern edge of the SRC property borders the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway tracks. SRC is working with Ozark Greenways and others to develop a biking trail along that stretch.
The BNSF tracks are still considered an active line, but are no longer used. They could be if needed. Currently, trains run only as far as Kraft, on Bennett Street, to the north.
The stretch of trail along SRC could ultimately connect with an overall trail plan called the Chadwick Flyer Trail that will go down to Ozark.
Mary Kromrey, executive director of the Ozark Greenways, says yes, the plan is to make the border of the property into a trail. She says SRC wants it to happen, too.
“These are all good indicators,” she says. “It looks very positive.”
Restauranteurs love having outdoor patios, a mere shaded table from a recreational amenity, Moger tells me. An adjoining trail would increase the value of the space, he says.
Typewriters once made here
The rest of the development — including the area behind the retail along Sunshine — will be either retail/commercial or office space.
Already, storage units are being built out-of-view behind the main 325,000-square-foot SRC building.
The business of operating storage units — like being a landlord — does not require a lot of manpower.
For those who might not know, SRC stands for Springfield ReManufacturing Corporation. It's an employee-owned company founded by Stack in 1983.
In 2015, SRC bought what was then the shuttered Regal Beloit manufacturing plant.
The building, at 2401 E. Sunshine St., first opened back in 1959. It's where typewriters were manufactured for Royal McBee.
(For you youngsters: A typewriter was a machine with keys for producing alphabetical characters, numerals, and typographical symbols one at a time on paper inserted around a roller.)
Acreage purchased by SRC in 2015
Ten years later, the Royal McBee building was purchased by General Electric, which began making motors used in heating and cooling equipment.
Regal Beloit in 2004 purchased that part of GE's business, but closed the plant in early 2015, sending operations to Mexico. SRC bought it in December that year.
Finally, Bob, you asked about the recently completed construction work in front of SRC along Sunshine.
It was for water detention. The company could have set aside a large depressed area, like a bowl in the ground, to handle the increased water run-off that comes when concrete covers grass.
Instead, SRC chose to spend the money to create underground water detention.
The company can't put streets or buildings above its new underground detention. But it can use it for parking spaces, which it plans to do.
This is Answer Man Column No. 36.
