Developer claims Trader Joe’s backed out of Springfield location

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Neighbors in University Heights continue to push back against a proposed development at the corner of National Avenue and Sunshine Street.

Now the developer, Ralph Duda with BK&M, says all the opposition caused Springfield to miss out on potentially getting a Trader Joe’s grocery store, as representatives for the chain were put off by all the controversy when they visited the site.

“I worked for about three months to get Trader Joe’s to add Springfield, Missouri to their expansion city list,” Duda said at a city council meeting. “They added us. They did a site visit. We were in negotiations. When they did the site visit, they came down and saw all the signs that said ‘save our homes.’ They backed out.”

However, people living in University Heights aren’t so sure.

“It makes me wonder if that’s really true,” said Springfield resident Jeff Carney. “Honestly, I think Trader Joe’s would be very happy here. The whole community of Springfield would like to see it.”

As president of the University Heights Neighborhood Association, Carney says a majority of residents want single-family homes in the empty lot on National and Sunshine.

“That’s a great deal of pressure to see the gravel, practically a parking lot,” Carney said. “It’s not good for anybody. It’s an eyesore.”

“It’s been my dream for a long time to redevelop this corner,” Duda said.

He has been trying to rezone the lot for over a year after knocking down some houses on the corner.

“There’s there’s actually some support, a lot of support from the neighborhood that, you know, they’re just too afraid to speak up,” Duda said.

He says he’s addressed most of the concerns from neighbors.

“Right now I can’t find a tenant because they they know this is a hairy subject,” Duda said.

Carney says the neighborhood wants that corner to be for families.

“We just don’t want our neighborhood destroyed,” Carney said.

Trader Joe’s sent Ozarksfirst the following statement:

We are actively looking at hundreds of neighborhoods across the country as we hope to open more neighborhood stores each year. At this time, we do not have a location confirmed in Springfield, MO. We list all of the stores that are opening soon on our website.

Trader Joe’s

City council will decide whether or not to rezone the land at the next meeting on Oct. 7.

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