Jefferson City man hopes new apartments will help downtown area prosper

Development and residential living space has been a topic of conversation for years in Jefferson City.

Unlike Columbia, downtown Jefferson City is fairly quiet after dinner and that’s an image the city has been trying to shake for years.

City leaders have had a tough time finding entrepreneurs willing to make an investment in downtown areas, but now one local businessman is making the dream become a reality.

Businessman Jim Tergin is spending about $350,000 to remodel a building at 130 E. High St. He’s hoping as new tenants move in, they will breathe new life into the downtown area.

Construction crews are taking steps to transform the old building and Tergin says three apartments will be ready for tenants above Coffee Zone in less than two months.

“I’m really excited about this, you can see the Capitol building out all of the windows,” said Tergin.

Tergin is also restoring the building to its original time period using federal and state grant programs.

He’s hoping the redevelopment trend will continue. He owns several other downtown buildings and plans to remodel those depending on how well the High Street apartments do.

As for parking issues, the City Council recently took step to alleviate parking problems. Residents can purchase a parking pass for any of the rear lots for $20 a month.