Local family looking to upgrade historic building
TaMya Bracy
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Frederick Towers will see improvements to its office spaces as a local family plans to turn it into a startup entrepreneurship hub for St. Joseph.
The building, located at 2400 Frederick Ave., originally opened in 1916 as Noyes Hospital. In 1955, Anchor Serum purchased the building to use as an office space. Later the building would become what is now known as Frederick Towers.
The local family who recently purchased the building aims to empower entrepreneurs and create a multi-functional space for businesses, according to a mission statement on Frederick Towers Innovation Hub’s website.
Colby Campbell, the owner of Frederick Towers, said it has been a dream of his to own the building.
“My dad had an office in this building for years. I mean, we’re talking like 20 years,” Campbell said. “And I would tell him, ‘someday I’m going to own the building,’ as a joke. And then here in the last, probably at the end of last year, we had made a decision to try and find a new place to grow and build a business.”
Campbell said that they want Fredrick Towers to be an affordable place to rent office space and help people who want to start a business.
“So, someone can bring their idea. We can then introduce them to the professionals that they will need to set themselves up as a legitimate business so they can start building their business credit,” he said.
Campbell’s goal is to use Fredrick Towers to attract new, younger people to the city.
“We want this to be a place that’s part of the growth and development of St. Joe, so that we can help grow the city of St. Joe and bring in new, younger blood,” Campbell said.
Campbell said that if anyone has history of the building, he would like to know more.
“We love those stories. And we’re actually going to be building a timeline of these stories and the companies and experience on the walls of the hall on the first floor,” he said. “So when people come in, they can see the history of this building.”
Campbell said he hopes to have the building completely renovated in five years.