Wally Kennedy: Webb City's South Madison in high gear
Oct. 6—It's that time of year when I stock up on birdseed. The long-range weather experts are predicting a cold and snowy winter in the Midwest thanks to the El Nino weather pattern in the equatorial Pacific. Watching cardinals and blue jays at my feeder with snow on the ground is something I enjoy.
Normally, I would buy my birdseed at Pearl Brothers True Value Hardware in downtown Joplin where I often found good deals. Its closure forced me to look elsewhere. So I ventured into cardinal country — Webb City — and checked out Henkle's Ace Hardware at 1201 S. Madison St. I'm glad I did. Instead of purchasing the usual 20-pound bag for about $15, I picked up a 40-pound bag that was on sale for $20. I can be generous with the birds this winter.
While I was there, I ran into John Henkle, who co-owns the store with his wife, Cris. Some big changes are taking place at Henkle's. Instead of building a second store in Joplin, they have decided to expand their Webb City operation. They are adding on to the back of the store where a new greenhouse will feature houseplants and home decor. The new configuration will permit the store to offer trees and shrubs for the first time.
A small house at the rear of the property will become the corporate office for Henkle's. The project includes additional room for parking. Henkle said the work is to be completed by March 1.
This is not the only project that is unfolding on South Madison Street. Mid-Missouri Bank, with MidMo Insurance, are constructing a branch office at 1421 S. Madison St. The previous office, which was constructed in the early 1980s, has been demolished to make way for a much more modern structure. A groundbreaking ceremony was held Thursday for this $3 million project. The contractor is Crossland Construction Co.
Work continues to progress on the new Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen restaurant at the southeast corner of Ninth Street and Madison. And, a blue perimeter fence was erected this week on the west side of the 700 block of South Madison Street where Whataburger plans to build a restaurant, although the company has not officially confirmed that. Plans for the project have been filed with the city.
Out on a limb
I'm probably going out on a limb writing about this, but I think there's something about to happen with the former International Paper Co. property at 2609 S. Range Line Road. This property is on the east side of Range Line. It's a roughly 96-acre tract along South Geneva Avenue that is surrounded by a chain-link fence. You can see it from the parking lot of Golden Corral.
This all started months ago when I got an email from out of the blue from someone who wanted information on the property. As a reporter for this newspaper, I had last written about the property in 1986. That was puzzling. Then the rumor kicked in, and I started getting odd tips from people who had heard things they wanted me to check out. And then when you talk to people who say they cannot talk about it because they have signed a nondisclosure agreement, you know you are close to hitting pay dirt. The dots were starting to connect. Something big is in the works.
The fence is there because of what took place there. Utility poles were treated with creosote and penta at the plant, creating a highly contaminated piece of ground — about 30 acres — that requires regulation by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. A groundwater monitoring and remediation system is operating at the site.
The plant operated 11 surface impoundments for storing wastewater and sludges. In 1986, the hazardous sludges were removed from all of the impoundments. That material was placed in land farms for bioremediation, which apparently was not as successful as envisioned. The company has 11 acres under roof as part of that ongoing cleanup action. The leachate generated at the site is now captured by a pump-and-treatment system. The city treats the contaminated water that is withdrawn from this site.
The plant, which dates back to 1937, was a sprawling operation that once was part of the vast tracts of the Rex Mining and Smelting Co.
International Paper has already sold some of the acreage to a developer, D.J. Christie, of Kansas City, for the Home Depot store. The new Planet Fitness was built on part of that acreage.
People familiar with the site tell me that the 66 acres are ready for redevelopment and are being eyed by a developer with local experience who believes the site can be converted into commercial and retail use because of its proximity to Range Line. The developer also is interested in acquiring the Red, Hot and Blue restaurant property, 2601 S. Range Line Road.
Could this development bring a bona fide grocery store to Joplin? I have heard one name mentioned, and it's not HyVee. Details to come.
Contact Wally Kennedy at wkennedy@joplinglobe.com.
