Ashley Furniture coming to Jackson

Buchheit of Jackson is getting at least one new neighbor.

David Donley of Commercial Real Estate Specialists Inc. announced that he recently brokered a deal that will bring a new commercial development to the nine acres beside Buchheit at the corner of East Jackson Boulevard and Old Orchard Road. That development will be anchored by a 50,000-square-foot Ashley Furniture Home Store.

The father-son duo of Al and Kirk Barton will finance this endeavor. The Bartons own and operate an Ashley Furniture store in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Although the Jackson location will be the Barton's second Ashley store, the Wisconsin-based furniture company has 125 locations nationwide.

Kirk Barton said that in addition to their new store, he and his father will finance the development of an additional 10,000 square feet to be leased to any interested parties. He said that space will be finished to suit the needs of any number of occupants, whether it be one big retailer or several smaller commercial or office-space tenants.

Barton said the busy intersection and the location next to Buchheit make the new Jackson site a good fit for his store. He and his father hope to have construction completed by the first of January.

New bakery rising in Scott City: Marsha Hillemann has always loved to bake, and she's always had an inclination to share her gift.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Hillemann cooked at her cousin's Cape Girardeau bakery called The Pie and Cake Factory. In 2001, she and her husband Kevin started Log Cabin Bakery, a special order baking and delivery service in a log home just outside Scott City. Now, developer Paul Schock and longtime customers and friends have finally convinced the self-taught baker to open her own business.

Hillemann's Illmo Bakery and Cafe will be at 601 E. Second St. in Scott City -- a building owned by Schock. The Hillemanns are currently prepping the building for a Sept. 15 opening, painting and collecting historic icons, display cases, photos and Jimplicute newspaper clippings for the business' old Illmo decor.

To coincide with the rustic settings, Hillemann will offer old-fashioned baked goods, including breads, brownies, muffins, scones, cookies, cakes, pies and her wildly popular cinnamon rolls. But there will be no doughnuts.

That's not to say there won't be anything for the early morning eater. The cafe part of the establishment will serve breakfast fortadas and breakfast rollups. It will also serve gourmet coffee, tea, deli sandwiches, quiches, quesedillas, barbecue sandwiches and homemade soups and salads.

Maria's to bring taste of Mexico to Scott City: Speaking of food, Paul Schock and Scott City, Schock also reports that he'll soon have another new tenant at 116 E. Hickory St.

Maria Cruz -- who hails from Baja, Calif., but currently resides in Scott City -- will bring her Baja-style Mexican cuisine to Southeast Missouri. Maria's Place is set to open in October.

Maria's will offer a more authentic Mexican board of fare, using fresh produce, shredded beef and her homemade flour tortillas. The restaurant will occupy the space between Schock's pub and rental hall on East Hickory Street. According to Cruz, her eatery will serve patrons of the pub as well as be available to cater any event held in the hall.

SATOP building on Independence: Late summer construction seems to be in full bloom in Cape Girardeau, and yet another building frame has sprouted at the intersection of Independence Street and Silver Springs Road. That's where Terry Cole and Gary DeWitt are constructing a new 6,500-square-foot office building.

The new facility will be the home of Cole's local Substance Abuse Traffic Offenders Program, which is currently at the intersection of Kingshighway and Mount Auburn Road. In addition, the one-story facility will have six other rental units ranging from 600 to 2,000 square feet in area.

Cole said that about two-thirds of the space has been spoken for, but there are still units available. He expects construction to be completed by Oct. 1, when he plans to have SATOP up and running.

Land bought and razed along North Kingshighway: While new buildings and businesses are going up all over the area, motorists may have noticed a piece of land off of Boulder Crest next to Cape Girardeau County Park South that was once the site of a KFVS broadcast tower. Up until a few weeks ago, that site was covered with vegetation overgrowth. Now it is covered with fallen timber, dirt and stumps.

The clearing is all part of Eugene Holloway's plan to turn this newly acquired piece of real estate into a commercial development. But as of now, that's as specific as the plan gets.

Holloway owns Holloway Carpet One and Stage Development, which is in charge of the future of this 9.12-acre piece of land that Holloway purchased in May. He said he is currently fielding inquiries from a number of different types of businesses interested in the new development. Holloway said he envisions a "professional-type court area" anchored by a restaurant, retailer or even a doctor's practice.

He said although the land is ready to go, the leasing may hold the project up until fall or next spring.

Tony Rehagen is the business editor for the Southeast Missourian. Send your comments, business news, information or questions to Tony Rehagen, 301 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63702-0699, e-mail trehagen@semissourian.com or call 335-6611, extension 137.