A downtown Springfield building dating back to 1889 is set to be auctioned off in November. After nearly five years of owning the property that holds two lofts and street-level retail spaces, the owners of 212 and 214 S. Campbell Ave. are selling the building in an auction.
The property spans more than 5,800 square feet of mixed-use space with two residential lofts on the second floor and two retail spaces on the ground floor, according to Kearney & Company, the company conducting the auction. The property, which was home to the original M. J. Sass Jewelers, is part of the Campbell Avenue Historic District listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.
The building was home to Leonard Hardware prior to Sass Jewelers moving there in 1927,
according to News-Leader archives. After the Sass family retired and the jewelry store closed in 1956, the space was occupied by Frank's Uniforms. Various retailers have occupied the commercial space more recently, though it remains vacant currently.
Its owners, Bob McCroskey and Katie O'Bryan, preserved the structure and utilized Missouri Historic Tax Credits to restore and adapt the property for continued use. Brian Kearney, of Kearney & Company, told the News-Leader the renovations were completed in 2005 after the application for tax credits was submitted in 2003.
McCroskey has been an active voice in Springfield for decades, previously serving as the president of the North Springfield Betterment Association and operating a real estate firm involved in transactions related to familiar Springfield names such as Brick City and Urban District Alliance, according to Kearney & Company.
"It will be hard to imagine not being around all that is happening downtown,” McCroskey and O'Bryan said in a news release. "It has really been a part of our lives for so, so long. But we’re not getting any younger — and it’s time for someone else’s opportunity."
Kearney said the property was briefly placed on the market for two months before McCroskey and O'Bryan decided to go the auction route instead to make for a more expeditious process. Auctions allow property owners to sell property as-is in a much shorter timeframe than a traditional sale, where a property could remain on the market for months at a time and involve negotiations with potential buyers.
A live auction of the property will be held Saturday, Nov. 21 at 10 a.m. Kearney said phone bidding will be offered as an option for those unable to be there in person. The suggested starting bid is $250,0000, he said.
Potential bidders will have two set dates ahead of the auction to walk through the property, Kearney said. It will also be available for a walkthrough two hours before bidding begins. Additional details on the auction and property can be found on the Kearney & Company website. The dates for the walkthroughs will also be posted on the website.
Marta Mieze covers local government at the News-Leader. Have feedback, tips or story ideas? Contact her at mmieze@news-leader.com.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Downtown Springfield property will be auctioned off in November
