Our Opinion: Abandoned building gets new lease on life

Abandoned buildings create a challenge for communities.

Jefferson City maintains an Abandoned Buildings Registry, and abandoned structures are a topic both for the City Council and historic preservation groups.

When developers accept the challenge to repurpose and reuse vacant structures, they deserve our appreciation.

Such is the case with the redevelopment of the former Ameren power plant located at 400 W. Main St. in the Millbottom area.

The structure, which dates to the early 1900s, has been completely gutted and renovated by the Mill Bottom, LLC, development team, a partnership among Ron Dawson, Dick Otke, Jason Otke, Gary Oberkrom and Tim Hayden.

The developers submitted the lone response to a request for proposals from Jefferson City, which had acquired the structure.

Although the $1 sale price was inexpensive, the cost of renovations was not. The developers removed the boilers, poured new floors, abated asbestos and installed new windows, HVAC and plumbing. Roof replacement also is planned.

"The only thing that won't be new will be the brick and the structure itself," Oberkrom said. "There's nothing that's not been touched.

The first retail tenant for the building is Red Wheel Bike Shop, which will relocate from its existing Edgewood Drive site after the first of the year. Closer proximity to the Katy Trail afforded by the new site is an attraction.

The building's location near the Capitol complex and Missouri River creates a range of possibilities. In addition to other interior space, the developers plan to build an elevated outdoor patio and to lease a separate outbuilding on the premises.

Renovation of the former power plant creates possibilities for growth and development in an area that once was a hub of activity in Jefferson City.

Seeing those possibilities requires imagination; investing in them takes commitment.

We admire and appreciate transforming an abandoned structure into a community asset.