April 23, 2008 02:15 pm
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Dave Durham has one of the loneliest jobs you can imagine while operating a retail business at one of the busiest interchanges in Southwest Missouri.
Durham operates Closet Works Lighting and More in the City Pointe shopping center that opened a year ago at the southeast corner of Madison and Macarthur streets in Webb City. Madison is the northern-most part of Range Line Road in Webb City.
You have to go to the south end of Range Line Road to find an interchange as busy as the one at Madison and Macarthur. It handles traffic headed for Joplin and Range Line from points north, east and west, and then the return traffic. On any given day, nearly 12,000 vehicles pass through the intersection.
On the corner across the street from City Pointe is a McDonald’s restaurant that is very busy. On another corner is a Walgreen’s, that’s also busy.
“They say it’s difficult to get in and out of this shopping center,’’ said Durham. “But, it’s just as hard for people to get in and out of the McDonald’s and Walgreen’s.’’
So why hasn’t City Pointe been more attractive to potential retail businesses like the one Durham is struggling to keep open? There’s enough space available for two dozen tenants in the shopping center, but there are only four tenants and one of them, a Quizno’s, has closed.
“That intersection has one of the highest traffic counts. We thought it was ideal,’’ he said. “I’ve been surprised before, but this has really surprised me.’’
And Durham has nothing but kind words for the developer of the property, Steve Vogel. “He has bent over backwards for me,’’ Durham said.
Still, Durham sees about four to five walk-in customers a day. A busy day is 10 walk-ins. Last winter, the traffic was even less. He keeps busy answering the phone, handling special orders and tinkering in his shop on lamps that need repair.
He and his son, Denis, are surviving because of the business they get from local house-building contractors. In addition to selling lamps and lamp shades, Craftmade ceiling fans and all kinds of Dolan Design lights, they install custom-made closet shelving and DuPont storm rooms that are made with Kevlar.
As long as the construction of new houses continues, they will survive. But even that market, of late, has been impacted by the building slump.
“There are peaks and valleys in the housing market, but it usually levels out,’’ he said. “On the lighting side, there’s lots of competition out there. One thing we can offer that they can’t is personalized attention.’’
He certainly has the time to do that.
But Durham could be getting a break soon. A new tenant could be coming to City Pointe that, if it happens, will generate some much-needed traffic. This business has a medical angle. That’s a good thing because there are no local indicators to suggest that segment of the market is in trouble. It’s booming.
New construction
This could be a big deal only because it could be one of the few construction projects to happen along the strip in 2008. A building permit for $375,000 has been issued by Webb City to construct a new Sonic restaurant at the southwest corner of 13th and Madison streets.
It will replace one further south on Madison that was among the first Sonics to be constructed in Southwest Missouri.
I know Sonic is often dismissed as just another fast-food purveyor, but a cherry-limeade on a hot summer day is one of the true cheap pleasures in life.
If you have news about something that’s happening on Range Line Road, dial 623-3480, Ext. 7250; or send an e-mail to wkennedy@joplinglobe.com; or send a fax to Wally Kennedy at 623-8598.
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Photos
Wally Kennedy