A possible name for the Taneycomo lakefront project was revealed at the Branson Board of Aldermen meeting, Monday, April 14.  "Port Branson" could replace the currently titled Branson Landing project. The name was formed because of the project's connection to water.

HCW Development CEO Rick Huffman is working with YPB&R, Ideas at Disney and Wet Design to create the Port Branson theme for the project.  Mitch Gorshin, of Ideas at Disney, said the storyline of Port Branson will make it come alive. "A port implies a marketplace-a place that is alive," he said. "It is a central meeting ground. I think port embodies everything this project wants to embody."

Gorshin said the idea for Port Branson includes having four distinct areas within the entire project-each having a different theme.  Gorshin said his team played with other names. "The Waterfront" and "The Port" were two examples that did not make the cut.  "Port Branson is not just a name," he said. "It is something well beyond that. Port Branson signifies what we are wanting to do."

While Gorshin believed the name would fit well with the project, some of the aldermen had concerns with the name.  Newly re-elected alderman Ron Huff asked Gorshin what the problem was with the name Branson Landing was. "It implies something small-a little bit soft," he said. "It doesn't make it as alive as it possibly could be. The four districts within the project would retain the heritage and tradition of the Ozarks."

Huffman said the Port Branson name was chosen because there is a "Landing" in St. Louis that might interfere with marketing plans. "We were scared of putting tremendous marketing dollars into something that has the same name and is in the same state as the other," he said.  YPB&R Managing Partner Peter Yesawich said the Port Branson name would go through a market test to see how people reacted to the name.

Both Gorshin and Yesawich said the ultimate name and theme of the project will depend on what kind of tenant anchors come in.  Huffman said he is currently negotiating a contract with Bass Pro for a 60,000-square-foot space. Underwater World is also another tenant Huffman is trying to secure. Underwater World would have a 55,000-square-foot aquarium.  Numerous smaller tenants such as restaurants and shops have already been secured.  Huffman said he would like to add a Nordstrom or Sax 5th Avenue and a cinema as tenants. 

The aldermen and audience got a glimpse of the project through initial drawings that Huffman presented. The drawings showed the river walk, 200,000-square-foot convention center, shops, restaurants, parking lots, water features and a town square that would accommodate 6,000 people for a stand up function.  "These (drawings) are not set in stone," Huffman said. "They are to scale, and they are workable."

The next steps for HCW Development include the Phase Two traffic study, HCW ground lease, on-going design contract, 404 permit, convention center TIF approval and finalizing the Empire Electric land acquisition.

Another upcoming project Huffman will take on is creating a Branson Landing Information Center. Huffman said he plans to remodel a building at Business 65 and Main Street, currently leased to Ozark Mountain Quilts and a visitor information center, and using it for the next two years as the project information center for visitors. The building would contain drawings of Branson Landing and a fiber optic model of the project.

Courtesy of Branson Daily Independent