A hundred years from now, the name Dylan Acevedo may be as important to the history of Poplar Bluff’s downtown as George Begley’s became in the mid-1800s.
That’s because Acevedo, 29, is about to make a splash in the same building and on the same block that the historic entrepreneur Begley left his indelible mark on downtown Poplar Bluff.
The Dexter native has been quietly planning a $4 million development on the 400 block of Vine Street that would transform the area into a vibrant commercial center with retail shops, a restaurant and offices. Acevedo has already purchased two of the properties and has committed to buying a third for the project and is scouting for an upscale restaurant to anchor the space.
Among the earmarked properties is the former Begley Building – built by George Begley, the city’s “first blacksmith, manufacturer and undertaker,” according to Downtown Poplar Bluff’s Facebook page. The building was most recently home to Hays Music Store.
The project encompasses the properties at 401-403 Vine, 405-407 Vine and 409-411 Vine.
“I’m definitely excited for what it’s going to be,’’ said Acevedo, who lives in Poplar Bluff but works in Dexter. “Granted, the excitement is hard when you have had an environment we’ve had like COVID.”
Acevedo began exploring how to redevelop the moribund downtown after he learned the historic area was a tax opportunity zone that provided capital gain tax advantages to investors. The project, encompassing 32,000 square feet, will include an event venue, two floors of office space, two retail stores and a restaurant. His goal is to have the project – named “The Begley Block” – completed by the summer of 2022 with the events venue operating by January.
Architectural drawings have already been completed by TenMile Studios, the architect, engineer and construction management team for the project. Currently, Acevedo is the sole developer of the project.
“Right now, it’s just me, but I do have other potential partners and people who are interested,” he said.
Although no tenants have been signed, Acevedo says he has met with interested parties. Demolition on the buildings’ interiors is already complete. Not much is left inside the original Begley building except the skeletal remains of what Acevedo says is the first mechanical elevator between St. Louis and Little Rock, Arkansas.
Preserving history, with a modern take on downtown
Acevedo and his architect met several months ago with the city’s Historic Preservation Commission for permission to preserve the facade of 405-407 Vine St. while allowing the demolition of the interior. The commission approved the “certificate of appropriateness” sought for the architectural changes.
“The building will look the way it always did and maintain the integrity of the block, the architecture of the block,’’ said Emily Wolpers, 76, chair of the Historic Preservation Committee. “And that’s the whole idea.”
She said that preserving the historic integrity of the building will strengthen interest in downtown Poplar Bluff.
“Once you let anybody do anything, and they don’t save history, then it’s not of any interest to tourists anymore,” she said. “It doesn’t have any historic integrity. It’s just any other place or street or highway.”
“As a city manager, I’m definitely excited about it,” said Poplar Bluff City Manager Matt Winters of the plans. “I’m excited for private investment that’s going to revitalize that entire block.’’
Acevedo has worked closely with Morgan McIntosh, the city’s downtown development director, to help navigate the bureaucratic process of getting the necessary permits and licenses for such a large undertaking.
“Morgan and I have a great relationship,” Acevedo said. “Really, she’s been more of a relationship manager. She gets me in touch with other people I need to be talking to.”
McIntosh said of the ambitious Acevedo, “From the conversations we’ve had, he has a great vision and great taste. Aesthetically, everything will look really great. It will transform that whole block, that’s for sure.”
Acevedo’s name for the project is “The Begley Block,” named after the 19th century Poplar Bluff businessman George Begley who built the landmark “Begley Building’’ that will anchor the project.
According to the Downtown Poplar Bluff Facebook page, Begley “rented a forge and opened a blacksmith shop at the northwest corner of Pine and Broadway. He later built the new and larger structure, thereafter known as the Begley Building, and began the manufacture of wagons and buggies. The following year, he added furniture, hardware and factory-made coffins to his inventory. Begley went to St. Louis to study embalming, after which he founded Poplar Bluff’s first mortuary.”
Stepping away from big-box concept
Acevedo said Poplar Bluff developers have concentrated on building big-box projects for the last 15 years.
“But it’s moving away from that,” he said. “Millennials don’t like that stuff.”
The new project is on the same block where other Poplar Bluff investors have staked an interest in downtown’s revitalization. The project is at the same intersection where Larry and Lisa Hafford operate Haffy’s Sports Bar & Grille and outside terrace, across the street from the boutique coffee shop Foxtrot Coffee, and near the 430 Vine St. senior subsidized apartments.
“We’ve been open now for a little over three years,” said Philip Neeley, 32, who bought 404 Vine St. with his wife, Rachel, and brother-in-law, Ken Hill, and converted it into a hip downtown coffee shop. “It’s going well. We really enjoy what we do down there.”
The three collaborated on the project after deciding Poplar Bluff was lacking a specialty coffee house. Neeley and his wife “just drove through the downtown and just called the numbers we saw on the side of the buildings” until they found one that would work for the project.
“I’m actually really excited about how downtown Poplar Bluff is going to grow,” Neeley said. He said it has a “bright future for sure.”
More growth to come
Also joining the block is Francisco Esquivel, 51, the owner of popular eateries Maya’s, Taco Taco Fresh Mex and Las Margaritas. He purchased the one-story former chiropractor’s office at 408 Vine St. with an adjacent parking lot and is planning on launching a new concept taco restaurant by spring of 2022.
By then, Esquivel said, “I’m very confident that downtown will be different. That’s why we bought the property. I think there will be something great over there.”
Todd Henson, 31, a realtor who serves on the Downtown Poplar Bluff events planning committee and the Poplar Bluff Historic Depot Restoration committee recently bought a small lot of land across from the Rodger’s Theater. He is planning on repaving it to create a food truck venue, where trucks can set up for special events and weekend nights, or overflow parking from Myrtle’s and the theater.
“I think there’s a lot of people holding buildings, waiting for something to happen,” he said, calling it the “chicken and egg conundrum.” But he believes as more investment pours into downtown, development of these held buildings will be inevitable. “Eventually I think everything will grow.”
Henson said that people who have traveled, or who have lived in cities with vibrant downtowns, are eager to see Poplar Bluff’s downtown revived.
“There’s a younger generation like myself that, you know, like to see nice downtowns because you go to all these other places that are nice and growing... that are, you know, established downtowns. I guess the question is, why can’t we be like that?”