Commercial construction at two different locations was discussed Monday by the Poplar Bluff City Council.
The council has approved a request that will allow Quality Tech Transmission on South Broadway to construct a new, larger facility following a significant fire.
The council is also expected to vote June 21 on property matters that could allow construction of a new Japanese steak house on Oak Grove Road. This includes annexation of one lot and zoning for two lots.
Steve Fuchs, a partner in Quality Tech Transmission, spoke to the council to request a portion of Missouri Avenue be vacated. Other partners in the business are Brian Allen and Gary Shelton.
The South Broadway business suffered a fire in March that destroyed a portion of the existing building. The company has continued to work from the undamaged portion of the building while plans are made to rebuild.
The partners have planned a 6,500-square-foot building that would encompass a gravel portion of Missouri Avenue at the front of the existing structure.
“We do want to make a nice investment off South Broadway,” Fuchs said. “(It will) be a brand new, state-of-the-art (building)… We’re happy to be staying and working here in Poplar Bluff.”
The section of the street to be vacated is about 10 feet.
“(It’s) so we can build a 60 foot wide by 110-foot long building,” Fuchs told the council before a voting session where the item was approved. “Currently, we only have 50 feet to work with, and a 60-foot building is what we really need to make it optimal.”
The existing building will be torn down when construction is complete and used for parking, Fuchs said.
City manager Matt Winters said the request was approved by planning and zoning. It will not impact other businesses on Missouri Avenue, according to the discussion.
A developer has also expressed interest in new commercial construction on Oak Grove Road, according to information presented to the city council.
The council has been asked to rezone property at 3002 Oak Grove Road from RS-1 rural residential to C-2 general commercial. As part of the same development, they have also been asked to annex 2893 Reno Drive into the city limits, with the same zoning.
“It’s just more development that’s going to go,” said Chance Whitehead, who spoke to the council on behalf of the project. “Hopefully, it’s going to keep us marching forward, increasing our tax base and that type of thing.”
Oak Grove Plaza LLC has applied to the city for both requests. City documents list Dr. Donald Jones and Simplex Maintenance LLC as the owner of 3002 Oak Grove Road.
The developer, who was not named during the meeting, has restaurants in Cape Girardeau and Sikeston.
“This is a developer who does high-end Japanese steak houses. This is his natural expansion into Poplar Bluff, so that’s what he would like to bring to the property on Oak Grove Road,” Whitehead said.
There is currently a vacant house at 2893 Reno Drive that would be demolished by the potential buyer, according to city documents. The second property, 3002 Oak Grove, is a vacant lot.
Both requests have been approved by planning and zoning.