2008 Woodie Awards
La Plata rail resort approaches groundbreaking
Charlotte Keenan
Issue date: 1/31/08 Section: News
Marshall said the rail-themed event center, built from the historic Wheatcraft Motor Company Building, holds as many as 800 people and houses a stage built with old bowling lanes from Marceline, Mo., Walt Disney's hometown.
"It's going to be a very unique venue in northeast Missouri," he said. "It will remind you of an Old Spaghetti Factory."
Funding for the rest of the Silver Rails Resort project will come from corporate sponsorship, Marshall said.
"Right now we're talking to companies in a couple different countries," he said. "I can't name them at this point in time."
He said that if everything goes according to plan, he and his partners will break ground for the resort in late spring or early summer 2008, and the building process will last as many as three years.
The completion of the Silver Rails Resort certainly will affect Truman students, he said.
"There's going to be a huge number of added rooms for lodging," Marshall said. "Families can come back and visit their students at Truman, and at the same time there's going to be a great place to stay."
Marshall said people from outside the area already are seeing La Plata differently.
"There's been four buildings change hands in the last 60 days in downtown La Plata, not all bought by the same people," he said. "There are several families that are looking to buy homes here in La Plata and move here because of this project."
He said the resort is a great opportunity for local business.
"If you can imagine if a person had the foresight to go down to Branson or [Las] Vegas or wherever and buy real estate and start a business at the very beginning of those projects," he said. "You know, it would be a tremendous thing."
La Plata mayor Larry Herron said most of the community has been extremely positive about developments surrounding the Silver Rails Resort, but some have doubts about the project's feasibility.
"I think there's a level of wondering about whether or not it will actually come to fruition because the numbers are so big," he said.
"It's going to be a very unique venue in northeast Missouri," he said. "It will remind you of an Old Spaghetti Factory."
Funding for the rest of the Silver Rails Resort project will come from corporate sponsorship, Marshall said.
"Right now we're talking to companies in a couple different countries," he said. "I can't name them at this point in time."
He said that if everything goes according to plan, he and his partners will break ground for the resort in late spring or early summer 2008, and the building process will last as many as three years.
The completion of the Silver Rails Resort certainly will affect Truman students, he said.
"There's going to be a huge number of added rooms for lodging," Marshall said. "Families can come back and visit their students at Truman, and at the same time there's going to be a great place to stay."
Marshall said people from outside the area already are seeing La Plata differently.
"There's been four buildings change hands in the last 60 days in downtown La Plata, not all bought by the same people," he said. "There are several families that are looking to buy homes here in La Plata and move here because of this project."
He said the resort is a great opportunity for local business.
"If you can imagine if a person had the foresight to go down to Branson or [Las] Vegas or wherever and buy real estate and start a business at the very beginning of those projects," he said. "You know, it would be a tremendous thing."
La Plata mayor Larry Herron said most of the community has been extremely positive about developments surrounding the Silver Rails Resort, but some have doubts about the project's feasibility.
"I think there's a level of wondering about whether or not it will actually come to fruition because the numbers are so big," he said.
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trissie63
Christina Fry
posted 2/25/08 @ 9:36 PM CST
I am so happy that Kirksville has the Index newspaper! I just love it! I actually think it's a better source of information than the Kirksville Daily Express. (Continued…)
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