Wally Kennedy: Renovations in 1700 block of South Main underway
Nov. 24—It's not much to look at right now, but if Ahmed Ibrahim has his way, it soon will be in much better shape.
Ibrahim, a personal trainer who operates Body by Ahmed, 4402 E. 32nd St., has big plans for what is left of the former Bob's Furniture Gallery, 1722 S. Main St., and its neighbor to the north, the former Mister C's Bargain Finder, 1708 S. Main St. He acquired both properties over the past two years or so.
Mister C's, a business that has specialized in blinds and window treatments since 1982, has relocated its showroom to the rear of the Forget Me Not Flea Market at 1702 S. Main St. A Mister C's spokeswoman said the business continues to fill custom orders.
Before Mister C's, the storefront at 1708 S. Main St. was the longtime home of Carlson's Hardware. Ibrahim said the property is for lease and that a restaurant operator has expressed an interest in it.
Bob's Furniture Gallery, which closed in 2012, was last owned by Mark Parrish. It was started by his grandmother and great-grandfather as Church Furniture in 1947. It was all used furniture then. When Parrish's father, Bob, returned to Joplin in 1962 after being in the service, he opened Bob's Discount Furniture. It offered new and used furniture. From that evolved Bob's Furniture Gallery, which offered leading brands of furniture.
Bob's Furniture Gallery, with 30,000 square feet to showcase furniture, was created by bringing together seven buildings with frontage on the west side of the 1700 block of South Main. The structures have been combined behind a single facade that makes it appear as one structure. Some of those structures date back to the 1930s.
Ibrahim wants to develop the property. The first project will be a gym. That could be followed by a nail salon and spa. There's a second-floor apartment to be developed. He has big plans.
"Because of their location on Main Street, these properties have a lot of potential," he said. "But it's going to take a lot of work to get these buildings in shape. They have been empty for a while."
The south end of the former furniture store has become the offices of Visiting Angels, a provider of in-home care services in Carthage, Springfield and Joplin that helps seniors live independently in their own homes.
Open for business
The Storage Spot, part of a group of businesses housed in the former Jack Lawton Webb Convention Center, 5309 S. Range Line Road, recently opened.
The business, part of a U-Haul Neighborhood Dealer, has 138 storage units ranging in size from 5 feet by 10 feet to 15 feet by 45 feet.
Also at the site is Benchmark Appraisal Services V, which specializes in residential appraisals, and Fox Sports Sox, a traveling baseball organization for young players. The businesses are operated by Cole, Austin and Blake Landis.
Check it out
Talk about festive lighting. The Downtown Joplin Alliance and a crew of volunteers have transformed Spiva Park at Fourth and Main streets into something quite special this year.
Making this transformation happen were Liberty, which offered a bucket truck to set the star atop a big tree, and volunteers from Freeman Health System, Verts Neighborhood Dispensary, Joplin Arts District and the Cragin family. Also helping was the Joplin Parks and Recreation Department.
Kudos to all. The park has never looked better.
Contact Wally Kennedy at wkennedy@joplinglobe.com.
