Branson Growth and Development

It seems as if there are more track hoes, bulldozers and dump trucks in Branson this winter than vehicles. Everyday we are forced to wait in traffic and cooperate with road construction crews: across from Cof O, Spirits Shop, South Town, Skaggs, and the 65bridge, just to name a few locations. Although we view this visible construction as being enormous at scale, it is only a small portion of the development happening in Branson today. The landscape of this area is changing very rapidly and we need to stay informed about the new opportunities ahead of us. Here is a brief overview of a few new things coming our way.

A new development known as Branson Hills has sprung up on the northwest corner of Highway 65 and Bee Creek Road. The first phase of this 141-acre development will be anchored by Target and Home Depot, along with TJ Maxx and other retailers and restaurants. The price tag on this first phase comes to a grand total of $33 million. These stores opened in March 2006. Also, under construction for 2006 at Branson Hills is a subdivision containing 1,995 homes, condos, and apartments. A new 18-hole golf course named “The Tribute” will be added to honor the late Payne Stewart, planned to open in 2007. To top it off, the City of Branson will claim a new sports and recreation center at Branson Hills. This 44,000 square foot recreation center will contain two gymnasiums and a fitness center. Also Wal-Mart is planning to build a Supercenter in this area as well.

We have all heard of the $420 million Branson Landing project that is under progress. This unique 95-acre facility containing 1.5 miles of Taneycomo Lakefront scenic board walk will host 400,000 square feet of national brand name shops. It will be anchored by Bass Pro and Belk’s, and feature a Hilton Hotel, condos, and active marinas. It will also be home to clothing stores such as Hollister and restaurants such as Joe’s Crab Shack and offer a new town square with the capacity of 5,000 guests and a $7.5 million water, light, and sound system. It’s projected that Branson Landing will attract 4.5 million visitors every year, compared to Branson’s 7.2 million visitors per year. This project is targeted toward a more affluent tourist, ages 34-54 years old, with an average household income of $60,000. Furthermore, Branson Landing will attract new money to Branson and open the gates of opportunity to many local people in this area.

There are many other smaller projects underway, including the $5.5 million Spa Chateau at Chateau on the Lake Resort. It will feature 11 treatment rooms, lounges, saunas, and steam rooms. Silver Dollar City presents an $8 million expansion that will feature 10 new family rides. Also, The Worlds Largest Titanic Museum Attraction, on Hwy 76 opened March 8. Never the less, there are many other projects on the way, not to mention activity at Holiday Hills and Big Cedar.

Branson is a booming town that is changing with the times and creating a new image. As these new stores and operations open, a large work force will need to be employed, and more houses will need to be built to house the workers. This will result in new businesses to service the new population, and the vicious cycle continues. The new development in Branson is a tool that will promote an explosion of economic activity in this area. We will all have the opportunity to create and harness some of this wealth for ourselves.