Builder sees Vine Street as ideal for office buildings

Business Today

POPLAR BLUFF -- Last January Jim Bailey started construction on a 9,000-square-foot metal building for use as retail office space along the 1100 block of Vine Street.

Rick Pigg Construction Co. completed the project in July and four of the six office spaces in the building are now leased. The rental offices range from 900 square feet to 2,700 square feet.

Bailey owns and manages Bailey's Auto Body on South Westwood and this makes the third office building he's constructed on Vine Street between Westwood Boulevard and 11th Street.

"I think Vine Street is very busy. It's more or less a main street. There seems to be a lot of traffic up and down the street that retail businesses can take advantage of," Bailey said.

The four retail businesses currently occupying the new building are Country Cycles, AFLAC, American Home Medical Supplies and Basket Case.

Four years ago Bailey constructed the building that houses Buddy's Cleaners and Apria Healthcare, and eight years ago he constructed the building that is occupied by Express Personnel Services, Jackson Hewitt Tax Service, Dennis Young Construction and Bailey's Glass.

Bailey tore down an old building at the site to make room for the new building.

"I've had a lot of compliments from business leaders and people in town telling me how cleaned up Vine Street is. There used to be several old buildings there. This has made it look a lot nicer," he said.

Bailey's retail office buildings are managed by Karen Johnson.