You will be hearing much about Branson Landing in this blog. Branson Landing is a giant redevelopment of the area around downtown Branson and Lake Taneycomo. It will be a gigantic retail development including Bass Pro, Belk Department Stores, and numerous restaurants and shops. Included in Branson Landing will be a town square, a boardwalk, and a high class waterfall display. Also planned are condominiums, two hotels and a convention center of about 220,000 square feet.
The develper of the project is the City of Branson and HCW Development Company of Branson (Rick Huffman, CEO). More on HCW in a later blog perhaps.
The cost of the project is reputedly $300 million.
The Branson Daily News on November 19, 2004 reported that Robert W. Plaster would now be involved in the "private portion" of the Project. The "private portion" includes 450,000 sq. ft. or retail space, the Bass Pro Shops, Belk, the marinas , the hotels, condos, and water fountain.
The City evidently owns the town square, the boardwalk, the roads and the infrastructure, and the convention center. It looks like the City gets the costs, but after all it probably gets taxes to keep this up.
Robert W. Plaster will own 28% of the private portion.
Who is Robert W. Plaster. Robert W. Plaster was Chairman of the Board of Empire Gas Corporation from 1963 to 1994. From 1994 to 1996 he was Chairman of the Board of Empire Energy Corporation. He currently serves on the Board of UMB Financial Corp. He also holds interests in a number of other companies and trusts, which I will not go into detail here in this blog.
He is currently Chairman of Evergreen Investments, LLC, an investment company located in Lebanon, Missouri. He has a home in this area.
Mr. Plaster is a philanthropist and has endowed numerous institutions relating to business, education and sports. His Plaster Foundation has made major gifts to Crowder College in Neosho, Missouri, College of the Ozarks here in Branson, and Southwest Baptist University.
Football fans at Southwest Missouri State will be familiar with the Plaster Field and the Plaster Sports Complex.
His foundation also funded the Robert W. Plaster Stadium at Southwest Baptist University (where, by the way, Mr. Plaser received an Honorary Doctorate of Business administration and I hope tickets to their football games for life).
He also funded the Robert W. Plaster School of Business Building at The College of the Ozarks.
In conclusion, Robert W. Plaster, has made a fortune through his business skills; however he has turned back a substantial amount of money back into this area of the country.
Quite frankly, I am delighted to see that he will be part of the Branson Landing Project.
1 comment:
My understanding is that the single water fountain will be open for public consumption on weekends and alternate Tuesdays during the off-season, but will be available for thirsty tourists 24/7 from March through Branson Christmas (October).
Bring your big-gulp cups and prepare for a line. I'd also suggest an antibacterial wipedown if you're planning to drink straight from the mouthpiece - a cold is not a good way to spend your vacation when you could be spending it at 46 in the Classy Flea or the Flea Bag.
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