Rolla’s downtown area continues to undergo resurgence in residential and commercial development with yet another renovation of a major building by local real estate developer and entrepreneur Dale Wands.
The Rolla City Council gave Wands the green light at Tuesday’s City Council meeting where a request was made by Dale and his wife, Sara Wands to rezone the property at 600 North Elm Street (corner of 6th and Elm Streets) from C-3 (highway commercial district) zoning to C-C (center city district) zoning. The property is in the process of being demolished and prepared for redevelopment so the owners can use it for commercial as well as residential uses. The Wands said in their request for rezoning that they are planning to develop multi-family residential uses in the second story level, but do not have definite plans for the street level portions of the property.
In addition, the City Council also gave the green light to the Miner Alumni Association to rezone the property at 400 West 10th Street (directly to the north of 11th Street, between Pine and Elm Streets) to construct a new building to be used by the Miner Alumni Association for meetings and office space. The Miner Alumni Association purchased the property to be near Missouri S&T, and their location off Pine Street will bring even more activity to the growing downtown area.
Continued investment in the City’s downtown area, along with the revitalization of several large buildings in Rolla’s downtown business district, have made a big impact on the visual appearance of these structures, and provide a catalyst for other businesses, restaurants, and shops to relocate to Rolla’s city center. The Public Brewing House recently opened its doors for business on Rolla Street, and Alex’s Pizza Palace is currently expanding its well-known restaurant on 8th Street – both signs that the downtown area is a vibrant and attractive location for new businesses, retail shops and restaurants to expand and locate.
A lot of the development that is occurring in Rolla’s downtown area is a result of the planning, research and discussion regarding the future revitalization of Rolla’s Downtown Business District by the Rolla Downtown Business Association (RDBA), City of Rolla Community Development Department, Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC), and Engineering Management students at Missouri S&T who have been very helpful in many of their research and marketing efforts for the downtown area. The City of Rolla’s D.R.E.A.M. (Downtown Revitalization Economic Assistance Missouri) designation last year also reflects the importance and significance of the City’s downtown area and the potential it has to become even more of a destination area in the months and years to come.
In closing, I’d like to remind everyone that later this summer, a day-long Sesquicentennial Celebration will be held on Saturday, June 4, 2011 in conjunction with Route 66 Summerfest in downtown Rolla, Missouri. The celebration will kick off with a Sesquicentennial Parade at 10 a.m. on Pine Street. Following the parade, the Sesquicentennial Program begins at 11:30 a.m. at the downtown bandshell. Later that afternoon at 2 p.m. Sesquicentennial festivities will continue with historical re-enactments, a living history demonstration and lots of historic exhibits, crafters, displays and tours of the pre-Civil War old Phelps County Courthouse, and the 1857 John A. Dillon Log Cabin. If you or a community organization is interested in participating in Rolla’s Sesquicentennial Parade or hosting one of the decades, please contact Aimee Campbell, Director of Tourism, Rolla Area Chamber of Commerce, at 364-3577. Have a safe week!
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