HilCres Shopping Center has been on West Kearney Street since the 1960s. Consumers grocery left in the 90s, then the shoe store, cosmetology school, and the hardware store. With the coming of O’Reilly’s and the continuation of Holiday Lanes, residents remained hopeful that business would come back. Aaron’s Rentals came along, too, but the remaining storefronts never really took off.

When Holiday Lanes closed in 2015, it seemed the west end of the center would not shine again.

Last year, Freeway Ministries purchased the empty and abandoned building west of Aaron’s Rentals.

Two new retail stores

Three storefronts formerly occupied by a pawn shop and thrift store are being cleaned and prepared for rental by two new businesses: Two Blondes Family Salon and R.C. Flea Mart, owned by Conita and Richard Silva. Conita and her business partner, Trish Bridwell, were hairdressers at Fantastic Sam’s on East Kearney for five and over 30 years respectively. With that shop closing, Conita and Trish look forward to opening Two Blondes, where they will bring their former coworkers and provide hair care for all ages, nail services, and massage. The upscale flea market will take over the two larger storefronts.

Freeway Ministries

Freeway Ministries started with seven names on a signup list in 2011 and is now an international parachurch ministry to men and women struggling with addiction and life-controlling problems. Freeway rented Springfield Christian Schools’ gymnasium on Talmage for several years for their Saturday night dinner and worship. They outgrew that facility and purchased the bowling alley and storefronts through multiple fundraising efforts and donations from across the community. Terry Bond, a board member who grew up three blocks away in the Woodland Heights neighborhood and attended Hillcrest High School, explained that this will be their headquarters, not a church “proper.” The property will be used for offices during the week, and when they move in sometime this summer, they will move their Saturday dinner and meeting to the Hilcres property.

The bowling alley will be a 1,000-seat auditorium with rooms for private counseling and help. The former “fun center” will house a kitchen and middle- and high-school classrooms. The former cosmetology school (rooms west of the pass-through) will be offices and a meeting room at the front, and secure children’s classrooms and a children’s church center toward the back. They are also planning to open Freedom Kids, a preschool/day-care program for low-income families. Parents who cannot afford daycare may be able to work for tuition.

Bond says they are excited to be a part of the community and to make a difference here. He emphasized that it will not be a homeless shelter; their purpose is to help struggling people. Making a positive impact in the neighborhood is a close second. Bond invites all of our neighbors to stop by on Saturdays to tour the facility and learn more about the project. Those who would like to volunteer are welcome, too. Watch for information on their open house early this summer. You can learn more at Freewayministries.com or call Terry Bond at 417-689-3793.