Belk will enter the Missouri market in spring 2006 with a new 66,000-square-foot fashion department store at Branson Landing, in Branson, Mo., pending negotiation and signing of a final lease. The Belk, Inc. Board of Directors passed a resolution approving the new store on March 10.

“Branson is a wonderful community and we’re excited to announce the opening of our first Missouri store at Branson Landing,” said Linda Zwern, chairman of Belk’s Western Division based in Greenville, S.C. “The store’s layout, decor and merchandise selections will be designed especially to meet the shopping needs of customers in this area. Belk has an outstanding reputation for providing customers with the best in fashion, value, quality and prompt friendly service and we look forward to continuing this tradition in Branson.”

The new store will offer leading brands of fashion apparel, accessories, shoes, cosmetics and home merchandise, including exclusive Belk private brands. Each department will feature a unique décor and fixtures that enhance merchandise presentation. The store will also offer a variety of Belk customer services, such as a gift registry, gift-wrapping, alterations, Great Gifts cards and Belk revolving and interest-free charge accounts. Developer Rick Huffman of HCW Development Company said, “We are delighted to be able to welcome such an exceptional, well-respected department store to Branson Landing. Belk has an incredible history, combined with a successful track record, and the Branson community is eager for this store to open. This quality first-class shopping addition will reinforce our appeal to Branson’s newer demographic of younger and more affluent customers.”

Urban Retail Properties Co., the nation’s leading retail property management firm, is leasing and will manage Branson Landing. “The merchandise strategy at Branson Landing is to offer a unique shopping and dining experience in a beautiful, waterfront setting and Belk is a perfect fit for the project,” said Ross B. Glickman, CEO of Urban Retail.

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Branson, the live entertainment capital of the world and a world class fishing destination, is about to be the new location for one of America’s favorite sporting goods stores – Bass Pro Shops.

In a joint announcement today, Bass Pro Shops officials, Branson Mayor Lou Schaeffer and Branson Landing developer, Rick Huffman announced an agreement has been signed for the Branson Bass Pro Shops to open at the Landing in March 2006.

Developer Rick Huffman of HCW Development Company said today “We are delighted to have Bass Pro Shops as one of the major retail anchors of our Branson Landing waterfront development. Bass Pro Shops stores are unique destination retail locations.”

The Branson store will range between 40,000 and 60,000 sq. ft. in contrast to the 300,000 sq. ft. headquarters store in Springfield. It will feature an operating marina, guide service, boat rental and boat service center. The Branson store will be patterned after Bass Pro Shops Worldwide Sportsman store in Islamorada, FL which also features a waterfront location and is one of the top tourist destinations in the Florida Keys. This store will highlight the rich fishing heritage of the White River area and display historical photos, artifacts, record mounts and a tribute to Jim Owens and other long-time fishing legends.

The unique position of their newest store on the shores of Lake Taneycomo will also allow Bass Pro Shops to showcase their wide range of boats in a real time waterfront experience. It will create unique opportunities for customers to test drive the full range of Tracker, Nitro and Sun Tracker boats.

Lou Schaeffer was pleased to welcome Bass Pro Shops to his city. Mayor Schaeffer said “I have known Johnny Morris and his late father, John A., for most of the 52 years I have lived in Branson, and Lake Taneycomo means as much to the Morris family as it does to me and the rest of the Branson community.

To have a Bass Pro Shops store and marina as part of our waterfront development on Lake Taneycomo, will be a great asset for our visitors and residents alike.”

“We are very much committed to the Branson market and fishing in the Ozarks. This store continues that commitment. It is our feeling that this unique specialty store will compliment our store in Springfield which is Missouri’s #1 tourist attraction,” stated Bass Pro Shops President Jim Hagale. “The integrated waterfront marina at the Branson store will give a unique experience to our customers. It is our hope that the Branson store will introduce more people to fishing and the water resources that make this part of the country so special.”

Rick Huffman said that the ground breaking for the Branson Landing Development would be announced soon.

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A 260 room hotel adjacent to the proposed downtown convention center would be financially successful according to a study by HVS International of Chicago.

HVS presented its findings at a pubic meeting of the Branson Board of Aldermen Monday evening. This was the third major study of various aspects of the proposed Branson Landing and convention center developments.

HVS said in its first year of operation in 2006/2007, the convention center hotel would have a 49% occupancy rate with average room rates of $134. By its fourth year of operation, the hotel would enjoy 65% occupancy with an average room rate of almost $134.

Net income of the hotel the first year was projected to be $1.4 million and then by the fourth year, the income increases to $3.5 million. The study examined 16 comparable hotels including several high-end properties in Branson and Lake of the Ozarks.

The study said high-end hotels could see some initial loss of business, but average price hotels would not be affected. The overflow from large conventions, 1,000 attendees or more, would benefit other local hotels. The convention center will be the largest meeting facility in the city with a 55,000 square foot exhibition hall, a 20,000 square foot ballroom and 22,000 square feet of meeting space.

The study noted some Branson hotels close during the first three months of the year as a result of the area’s entertainment shows being on hiatus and thereby lower occupancy levels for the year. However, the convention center hotel will remain open for all 12 months and will utilize its meeting space and the convention center space to help buffer those off-season periods.

In addition to the convention center hotel, other lodging facilities in Branson Landing include a 120-room boutique hotel along the lakefront and 75 condominiums – some above retail stores and others on the upper floors of the convention center hotel — to be used for nightly rentals.

The HVS study also suggested that both hotel and convention center be under the same management resulting in a reduction of expenses and about a 4% increase in annual profits. 

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The Branson Board of Aldermen approved, at its October 27 regular meeting, a long-term master lease agreement with HCW Development of Branson, developer of the Branson Landing project. The term of the lease is 99 years.

The lease takes effect when the city has closed on the financing for the convention center and other public improvements that total about $100 million. Those improvements include a boardwalk along Lake Taneycomo, a town square on the waterfront, utilities and streets.

Under the lease agreement, if the city decides not to build the convention center, HCW Development can elect to continue with the private project that includes the commercial and retail district.

Aldermen also approved a Technical Services Contract that requires HCW to obtain a commitment of at least $60 million in private financing for the Landing development by April 15, 2004. However, city officials can extend that deadline.

The approval of the lease agreement will expedite negotiations between HCW and prospective tenants for the project. HCW had said earlier it has commitments for about a third of the 300,000 square feet of retail space in the project, but some major tenants were unwilling to announce their plans until the Board of Aldermen approved the Master Lease, Technical Services Contract, and Redevelopment Contract.

Branson Mayor Lou Schaefer said the aldermen’s favorable vote on these contracts October 27 should show everyone the city’s commitment in this development.

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Branson, in southwest Missouri, will soon be moving toward the top meeting planners’ lists as a first-class convention destination with the city’s recent approval for Branson Landing, an enormous new downtown lakefront development. The mixed-use complex will feature a multi-purpose convention center with adjoining hotel and an 80-acre retail shopping and restaurant district – all situated on Branson’s scenic Lake Taneycomo.

The retail component will open in spring 2005, the convention center and hotel in fall 2005.

The $300-million project, which is being undertaken by HCW Development Company and the City of Branson, will be situated between U.S. 65 and the lake, adjacent to Branson’s historic downtown district, and less than a mile from Branson’s immensely popular tourist area. Branson Landing will be easily accessible from U.S. 65.

The planned Branson Regional Convention Center is a 220,000-square-foot facility with 60,000 square feet of leasable exhibition space, 20,000 square feet for ballrooms/banquet rooms, and 15,000 square feet of meeting space on two floors. The balance of the total area is allotted to pre-function use, a business center, lobbies, and function services such as catering and laundry.

The Great Hall exhibit center will be suitable for virtually any type of large-scale gathering, from trade shows to association meetings, concerts, and banquets thanks to modular elements that will allow the space to be incrementally downsized.

The Great Hall’s features include:
• A 35-foot-high ceiling, five feet higher than industry standard;
• Overhead electrical outlet boxes on a 90-foot grid;
• Floor-boxed utilities, including fiber optics, on a 30-foot grid;
• Public address system and mobile stage;
• Restrooms that can be reconfigured for each event’s male/female occupant ratios;
• Ten loading dock spaces;
• Drive-on accessibility to the exhibit floor.

Up to 2,500 people will fit into the facility’s plenary hall, which is divisible into three rooms accommodating 800 people each.

A 300-room tower hotel, indoor/outdoor restaurant, and a café will be onsite, all offering pastoral views of Lake Taneycomo.

“Our convention center will provide meeting and conference planners an exciting, meetings-friendly venue in a destination that will be popular with both meeting attendees and their families. The destination alone will serve as a reason to attend a gathering,” said Rick Huffman, principal for HCW, the site’s developer.

“For Branson, the convention center opens up an entirely new market. Annual spending on meetings and conventions is over $40 billion. This meeting center is the logical next step to extend Branson’s existing tourist appeal to the convention trade,” Huffman said.

Owned property surrounding the convention center site is available for future development as Branson’s business-travel trade grows, and the facility has been designed with expansion in mind. The architecture will accommodate the addition of 200,000 square feet of exhibition space.

The 1.5-mile-long waterfront entertainment complex will feature themed areas where shoppers can stroll through a variety of surroundings that will each have the feel of an intimate, unique village. A winding walkway will guide visitors along the Lake Taneycomo waterfront and through intimate settings where the architecture, décor, and music will give each setting its own unique personality.

The Downtown Waterfront Development at Branson is a public/private venture between HCW Development Company and the City of Branson. HCW will manage all of the facilities under a 99-year lease agreement with the city.

To round out its world-class development and management team, HCW Development Company has awarded a development consulting and management contract to Urban Retail Properties Co., the nation’s leading third-party management company. “Urban Retail has developed and managed the nation’s most powerful mixed-use shopping destinations in cities such as Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, and Houston,” said Rick Graf, Development Director for HCW, “and we wanted to bring their unmatched expertise in developing unique retail environments to Branson Landing.”

HCW has invested more than $200 million in Branson-area development during the past 10 years, including Grandvista’s The Woods Resort, the Fall Creek Resort, the Branson Yacht Club, and the Vista Plaza shopping center.

The Branson resort area attracts an average of 8.2 million visitors annually, ranking it 16th among all overnight leisure destinations in the United States.

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The Missouri Department of Economic Development has approved the state tax increment financing (TIF) for the city of Branson’s 208 acre lakefront development known as Branson Landing. The state TIF will pay for a portion of the development by providing about $54 million in funding to the city over 19 years.

“The announcement of the state TIF for Branson will now accelerate our ability to secure major retail tenants in the Branson Landing project,” said Mayor Lou Schaefer. “But most importantly, the state TIF allows us to proceed with the development of a convention and exhibition center in downtown Branson, a major component of the whole lakefront development.”

Schaefer also expressed appreciation to Missouri Governor Bob Holden and the director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development, Joe Driskill for the confidence and support they have shown in recognizing Branson as a major generator of tourism dollars in the state.

With the convention center now on track, the private developer of the lakefront project, HCW Development of Branson, has announced that Hilton Hotels will build a four-star, 300 room hotel next to the convention center.

The planned convention center will be a 220,000 square foot facility with 60,000 square feet of leasable exhibition space, 20,000 square feet for ballrooms/banquet rooms, 15,000 square feet of meeting space and business center.

The exhibit center will have modular elements that will allow the space to be incrementally downsized. As many as 2,500 people will fit into the facility’s plenary hall, which is divisible into three rooms accommodating 800 people each.

The retail portion of Branson Landing along the Taneycomo Lakefront will feature a major outdoor sporting goods store, specialty shops and restaurants. Also complementing the overall downtown attraction will be a boardwalk along the lake, a town square at the end of Main Street on the waterfront, and spectacular fountains.

“This is a good project for the city of Branson that will complement other developments already under way in the area,” said Driskill. ” We have been working with Branson officials for many months on this application to make sure it complies with guidelines established by state law, and that it ensures that the state and its citizens will have a good return on the state investment. We are satisfied it will advance the interests of Branson and the state.”

The retail component of the project is scheduled to open in the spring of 2005 with the convention center and hotel opening in late fall of 2005.

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Country great Mel Tillis announced the sale of his theater at a Branson press conference July 10, 2002. The Theater, along with 13 acres of additional land will make a heavenly transformation to a church, thanks to Hobby Lobby, Inc. in the next coming months, but not entirely until Mel completes 135 more shows through New Year’s Eve at that location. Daughter Pam Tillis will join him at Christmas for a Tillis Family Christmas. “I’m not worried about the theater now, its in God’s Hand’s and you can’t get any better than that.”

An extremely happy Mel Tillis will pursue other interests like “fishing, working on an album with his family, and with his band” and divide time between his homes in Branson, Nashville, and Florida. David Green, owner of Hobby Lobby, Inc. was the benevolent purchaser and will in turn lease the property to the Tri-Lakes Cathedral group. Tillis first arrived in Branson on a permanent basis in 1990 and leased what is now the Yakov Theater for two years, built the Will Rogers Theater in 1992 with partner Melvin Hall, and then eventually built Branson’s finest theater, his present location, in 1994. Mel has performed over 4,000 shows in Branson for millions of visitor and has been one of Branson’s most successful shows. 

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For the eighth straight year, the American Bus Association (ABA) has named Branson the Best All-Round City for Motorcoach Travel. In February 2002, at the American Bus Marketplace, more than 220 respondents voted for their favorites in several categories. In addition to gaining top honors, Branson also garnered the first position in two other areas and was within the top three in two additional categories.

Branson also took top honors as the Destination with the Best Value for Money Spent and the City/Area That Works Hardest to Accommodate Group Tours. Branson was second only to Broadway Shows for the Best Theater/Entertainment for Groups and was third as the Hottest Up-and-Coming Destination for Groups.

“Taking this honor year after year is a great testament to the entire Branson community,” said Jim Langham, Chairman, Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce/CVB Board of Directors. “This accolade could not happen without the collective effort of all who provide such great service to the group tour planners and participants.”

In terms of trends, the fastest growing type of activity for groups is gaming followed by soft adventure and in a tie interactive/hand-on activities and dinner shows/live performance was third.

“Branson truly has the attributes in both the soft adventure and live performance areas to continue to appeal to the group travel market for years to come,” Langham added. “It’s certainly within our best interests to continue to work with the group tour industry to ensure the needs of its evolving customer base are met.”

Branson was also recently voted the number one motorcoach destination of the decade by the National Motorcoach Network.

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Byways Magazine named Branson, Missouri the top motorcoach destination of the entire decade. In its eleventh year of selecting the top 50 motorcoach destinations of the year, Byways magazine took a look at the destinations that have repeatedly scored high among motorcoach groups over the past ten years. With no surprise to industry insiders, Branson heads up the all-decade list.

Branson is in fine company as the nation’s capital, Nashville, Myrtle Beach, New York City, Orlando, Niagara Falls, Williamsburg, Cape Cod and Philadelphia round out the top ten.

“Branson has historically been in the top five on the survey each year,” said Steve Kirchner, publisher and editor of Byways. “Their consistency over the past decade is a true testament that Branson has the product, hospitality and service it takes to remain at the top of the motorcoach industry.”

“Being ranked as the number one motorcoach destination for one year is a tremendous accomplishment, but being the top destination for the entire decade is an extreme honor,” said Randy Fiveash, president/CEO of the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau. “The ranking is a tribute to an entire community that works so hard to accommodate our visitors with such innovative service and tremendous hospitality.”

Byways is a national magazine published by the National Motorcoach Network and reaches over 15,000 professionals in the motorcoach business. It is approaching its twentieth year of publication and has conducted the Top 50 Motorcoach Destination survey for more than a decade.

Branson, Missouri, ranked 16th among overnight leisure destination in the country, according to D.K Shifflet, boasts 59,000 theater seats—more than on Broadway, three pristine lakes, dozens of attractions, 22,000 lodging rooms 30,000 restaurant seats and more than 200 outlet retailers. Home to big-name entertainment and breathtaking scenery, Branson offers year round entertainment for the whole family.

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Brigadier General Paul Tibbets, the pilot of the famed B-29 Enola Gay, will be available on Saturday, May 5, 2001, at the Veterans Memorial Museum to autograph photos and copies of the book, “Return of the Enola Gay”. Visitors are welcome to bring their cameras along to have their pictures taken with Brigadier General Tibbets. Visitors wishing to view the Veterans Memorial Museum in addition to meeting the Brigadier General will receive a special $ 5.00 off regular adult admission.

Brigadier General Tibbets will also be at the Welk Resort Center in the lobby of the Champagne Theater from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm and 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM on Friday, May 4, 2001. StoneBridge Village, a gated resort community located just West of Branson, sponsors the visit by Brigadier General Paul Tibbets as part of their contribution to Branson’s appreciation for all veterans. David Bean of StoneBridge Village comments, “It’s a privilege to bring Brigadier General Paul Tibbets to Branson. His visit to the Welk Resort and the Veterans Memorial Museum gives all of our visitors an opportunity to meet and talk with an important participant in American history.”

Tibbets served in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters during World War II. He led the first daylight bombing raid against the Nazis and the first 100 plane raids against Germany. In September of 1944, Tibbets was assigned the task of recruiting, organizing, and training the personnel to drop the atomic bomb. Tibbets flew the first atomic mission against enemy forces when he piloted the B-29 named after his mother, Enola Gay. That mission took place on August 6, 1945 when the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, which set in motion the end of World War II with Japan.

Fred Hoppe, owner of the Veterans Memorial Museum, says, “The museum is a tribute to our veterans and their courage; we invite our visitors stop in and honor a true American hero, Brigadier General Paul Tibbets. We’re grateful that his strength of purpose saved the lives and freedoms of so many people.” The museum, on West Highway 76 in Branson, is easy to find as there is a full-sized World War II P-51 Mustang Fighter Plane located in the front of the building.

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