Several major commercial properties in Jefferson City have remained vacant for months while owners and realtors attempt to find new tenants to fill them, but announcements may come soon for a few.
The former Downtown Mall at 210 E. High St. vacated its remaining tenants in July of this year, but the interested buyer at the time has since backed out of the sale, said commercial realtor Dale Vaughan, who is marketing the property for sale to a new potential purchaser. They may be close to a deal, as an architect and contractor already are involved in planning potential renovations.
The 35,000-square-foot building could be renovated to house about 13 residential lofts on the upper floor and two to four commercial retail spaces on the main level, but nothing is set in stone, Vaughan said.
"The building is huge; there are so many scenarios involved," he said. "We're trying to come up with a way to have on-site parking since there is no parking available at this building ... possibly in the back with indoor parking where you would drive into the basement, or possibly tearing down part of the back of the building."
Vaughan said he could not estimate a timeline of when the sale might go through. The downtown building most recently housed tenants including One Stop Office Supplies, Ellen's Bridal & Alterations, Backstage Barbers, Capital Tattoo Co and The Cutting Room, but is also known for anchoring the downtown shopping district several decades ago with Jefferson City's JC Penney store before it moved to Capital Mall in 1978.
Fazoli's closed at 2333 Missouri Blvd. Oct. 1 after losing its lease, but commercial realtor and ownership partner Larry Kolb said an interested lessee is in negotiations now. He expects to have final documents signed within the next 30 days, at which point a public announcement may come, and hopes the new business will be open by next spring or early summer after refacing and renovating the building.
Kolb Properties is also handling the former Country Kitchen property at 1650 Jefferson St. The restaurant closed in August of this year after nearly 30 years in business at that location, which has been available for sale or lease ever since. A few interested parties have looked into the property, but no contract negotiation have begun, Kolb said.
A few doors down, the old Truman 4 Theatres, formerly Ramada, has been vacant since the movie theater closed in June 2013. Realtor Greg Bowman of Bowman Commercial Realty said he is working with two potential buyers and expects an offer within the next 30 to 60 days from some type of retail business.
Bowman also has a few parties interested in the large retail property at 905 Stadium Blvd. - formerly home of Auffenburg of Jefferson City and, most recently, Fletcher Automotive. When a new business opens at the location - which could potentially be announced within 60 to 90 days, Bowman said - it will remain a retail space but not an automotive dealer.
Owner Sam Trapp closed the Downtown Zesto's at 501 Broadway St. in August to open a new venture, Trappers Too on East High Street. The former Zesto's building has been sold, Trapp said, and to his knowledge is to be demolished. He was not aware of whether the mural on the property depicting the Zesto's building with downtown Jefferson City in the background would be preserved.