Ashland is facing a pace of growth he has never seen before.
From 2000 to 2010, the small town south of Columbia saw its population increase 98.3% to 3,707 people. The 2019 US Census Bureau estimate put the population at nearly 4,000. Mayor Richard Sullivan and City Manager Tony St. Romaine expect the number to exceed 5,000 when the 2020 census results are released.
This pleases both the mayor and the city administrator. Sullivan said he believes the increase in population means more businesses will be drawn to the city. And, since his appointment as municipal administrator in 2019, Sainte-Romaine has already played an important role in the commercial development of Ashland.
Other residents fear the community may lose the charm that attracted them there.
“You know, if it grows too much, I don’t know how it will be,†said Don Cochran, director of Dreamy Nails, one of Ashland’s new businesses, “because we love that small town feel.â€
Cochran said many people entering the salon, which his wife owns, have expressed similar concerns.
LEFT: Nail color swatches give clients a rainbow of options Tuesday at Dreamy Nails in Ashland. The business is owned by a team of husband and wife Linda and Don Cochran. RIGHT: Linda Cochran paints a client’s nails on Tuesday in Ashland. “It’s like musical chairs,” said a client as Don Cochran and Linda Cochran traded different manicure and pedicure parts for up to four people at a time.
St. Romaine said he believes Ashland is in dire need of more business development.
Recently, Ashland has prioritized contracts for the sale of lots on East Ashland Plaza, which is on the east side of US 63, separated from the main part of town to the west. The plaza is a large area that is mostly underdeveloped, with the exception of the Break Time convenience store which opened in February. Although the place is pretty much empty now, all but one of the lots are under contract with developers. The onus is now on developers to bring in companies.
State of affairs
Historically, businesses moving to Ashland have had a short lifespan, either going bankrupt or downsizing due to high rents and low sales.
In recent years, the city’s Pizza Hut has closed, along with a pool supply store, CBD dispensary, and food service. Other businesses have been forced to move to smaller buildings to stay afloat.
Lately, however, there has been a surge of new businesses: Trail Boss BBQ, Century Tattoo, Dreamy Nails, Sun Life Tan Co. and Lillie Lavon, a gift and home decor store. Larry Potterfield is in the process of developing an industrial property on 400 acres adjacent to the Columbia Regional Airport and within the city limits of Ashland. There’s also the new YMCA, and Ranken Technical College plans to spend $ 6 million on an Ashland campus. The work should start this summer.
The new YMCA faces Main Street Tuesday in Ashland. The facility, built through community fundraising, opened on March 5.
Most of the new businesses are on East Broadway, in the heart of downtown Ashland. This gang has proven to be hit and miss in the past, but the current crop of business owners are optimistic about Ashland.
Cody Finley is the co-owner of Century Tattoo. He and his partner, Lars Van Zandt, worked at the Columbia Iron Tiger tattoo parlor. They tried to fend for themselves.
Century Tattoo attracts customers with hand-painted windows Tuesday in Ashland. The owners were proud of the old-fashioned feel that the window paint gave their store.
Finley said there are many advantages to running a business in a small town. Customers don’t have to worry about metered parking. Business owners can make agreements with landlords regarding rent and utilities, which may not be possible in a large city.
LEFT: Cody Finley works on a shoulder of a tattoo design Tuesday at Century Tattoo in Ashland. The business opened in early 2020. RIGHT: Tattoo inks are in a box Tuesday in Ashland. Century Tattoos is owned by Cody Finley and Lars Van Zandt.
One of the big draws, Finley said, is “the calm, relaxed, small town vibe.”
This small town feel seems to be what many business owners enjoy in Ashland.
Emily Williams has lived in Ashland for 11 years and has witnessed its growth. She opened Sun Life Tan Co. in October. Although she supports the city’s growth, she doesn’t want it to lose its small town feel.
LEFT: A sticker dispenser hangs on the wall Tuesday at Sun Life Tan in Ashland. The stickers create an outline as clients work on their tan. RIGHT: A sunbed shines on Tuesday at Sun Life Tan in Ashland. The tanning salon has a variety of rooms named after different famous beaches.
The future
As more businesses come to Ashland and more people move to the developing subdivisions, the city’s infrastructure is more stressed. The growing Southern Boone County School District just got voter approval in April for a $ 7 million bond issue that will fund the latest in a series of expansion projects.
The city also spent $ 7 million to build a larger water treatment plant to meet the growing needs of city residents. A loan from the Missouri Clean Water State Revolving Fund paid for this project.
This project and loan demonstrate the cost of dealing with the increasing pressure on Ashland’s infrastructure. As new housing developments continue to develop, the tax burden of improving infrastructure will fall on residents unless more businesses locate in the area. Sales tax revenues generated by new and successful businesses could ease the burden on residents.
The city is actively working to improve Ashland and attract new businesses.
The Planning and Zoning Commission is considering updated plans to enable development, and the mayor and city administrator have been working on their own projects.
Sullivan said he was working on something he was “really excited” about but couldn’t talk about yet.
St. Romaine worked on improving downtown Ashland with the Broadway Beautification Task Force. The project has been underway since Sainte-Romaine arrived in Ashland.
The task force worked with Missouri Main Street Connection to raise money to improve the aesthetics and accessibility of downtown stripes. According to the organization’s website, it aims to improve “the economic, social, cultural and environmental well-being of the business districts of historic downtown Missouri.”
Blue Rooster BBQ & Pizza and Skyline Cafe offer classic Ashland fare on Broadway Tuesdays. The city is growing with investments in the main streets and new businesses springing up.
St. Romaine has been heavily involved in this project, and has been a driving force in many of the developments taking place in Ashland.
“These types of developments don’t happen overnight. It takes years of planning, â€said St. Romaine. “What I think we’re seeing now is the result of that planning over the last five years at least.”
