Want to live on the Bolivar square

My wife and I have always entertained the thought of what it would be like to live in a loft in some big city. We would people watch from our high vantage point, walk down wide sidewalks, grab a bite to eat a little diner, drive less and enjoy the sounds of downtown. 

It never quite worked out for us because we both like our jobs in Bolivar and Springfield and had other options. 

Two years ago we purchased a 10,000 square foot building on the east block of Bolivar square with a passion for revitalization and that loft living mentality. 

Our photography studio Creative Images Portraits Gallery was the main driving force behind the purchase and subsequent remodel. We had to find a new location soon so we devised a plan to triple our space at the studio and have help from a mix of commercial and residential spaces.

We bought the East block building in October of 2006 and began remolding immediately. On January 26, 2007 the north end of the building, a part we did not own at the time collapsed in the early morning hours of a Wednesday. 

We were shocked, dazed and confused. Six months of hard work was almost turned into a pile of rubble. After a few deep breaths and  a little convincing we decided to purchase the pile of bricks and build it back. 

That turned out to be a bigger project then we envisioned. After three engineers, two project managers, weeks of delays from both engineers and suppliers the rebuild was finally completed in December of 2007. 

We took a building built in 1886, that housed four businesses on the ground floor in 2006, and turned it into something more. 

The building now has space for seven commercial businesses and four loft apartments on the second floor. The second floor had largely gone unused for decades aside from intermittent use in portions of it. Downstairs we have Creative Images Portrait Gallery, Northstar Global, The Barber Shop, The Wild Hair, Jackie Traverson Designs, and Tri-Lakes Title Company. 

It was dirty, filled with trash and debris, but had tons and tons of potential.  

Our first loft to be completed was a 1,500 square-foot, two bedroom, two full bath apartment. That apartment was a learning curve for many reasons. 

We went the extra mile to make it a large spacious anchor to our plans. We added hardwood bamboo flooring in all the living spaces, tile in the kitchen and both bathrooms. We left the tall 12-foot ceilings and moldings, uncovered the 125-year old brick walls and only added two walls the space. Both bedrooms have walk-in closets, a washer and dryer closet for a stackable unit, appliances in the kitchen and new (brand-new because there was none when we started) electric, plumbing and central heat and air. 

We are trying to rent this unit right now and have three other apartments that will be ready in a few short months. 

The second apartment is a 1,500 square foot, one bedroom, 1 1/2 bath with huge kitchen, pantry, dinning area, living room and large master bedroom and bath. It too has a brick wall, tile floors in the bathrooms and kitchen, hard wood flooring, central heat and air, new electric and an archway in the kitchen. 

The final two apartments will be smaller one-bedroom, one bath studios with about 750 square feet, perfect for a couple or close roommates. 

In the coming days we will post pictures of the building old and new and tell stories about its past and hopefully its future. If you would like to know more or inquire about renting one of the apartments I can be contacted at 327-2687.