HEADLINES:
Shoe Factory in West Plains Will Be Turned Into Residence Hall
Posted on December 1, 2011
Two private developers are turning an old shoe factory building in West Plains into a student residence hall.
In a news release, Dick Davidson and Dr. J.W. Phillips, co-owners and developers of Howell Creek Shoe Factory Commons LLC, said they are hoping to honor a bygone era when West Plains was stepping onto the industrial stage from being a largely agricultural town.
Built by the International Shoe Company in 1946, the building at 665 Missouri Ave. was once home to the lifeblood of the West Plains economy after soldiers and sailors returned stateside from World War II. It has just been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The building is now taking on a new life as a private student residence hall exclusively for students attending Missouri State University-West Plains. The name of the project will pay homage to its origins: Shoe Factory Commons.
The finished building will feature several original pieces, including a large scale and a dust collector once used in the factory. The residence hall will have 72 units, 68 of which are four person, two bedroom suites, with a full bath in each suite. There will be a total of 268 student beds, with four rooms for RAs.
The facility will have full-time on-site management, as well as meal plans, a computer lab, a laundry room, and a fitness room. It is located about a quarter mile from the MSU-WP campus.
“Our goal is make student housing available for students who want to attend MSU-WP but live too far away to make a daily commute,” said Dick Davidson, co-owner and developer of the project.
The project is on track to be completed in the spring of 2012, with students moving in August of 2012. The general contractor is PARIC Corporation, based in O’Fallon, MO, the architecture firm is Ebersoldt + Associates from St. Louis. The total project cost is estimated at $12 million, and is using both federal and Missouri historic tax credits as part of its funding.
During its duration, from 1946 to 1993, the International Shoe Company was the largest single employer in West Plains. Once again, this building is poised to become a place of opportunity, this time for a younger generation.