Hearne: Waldo Village Ready to Rumble in Former Waldo Pets

This just in…

Local businessman Steve Sutton has purchased the real estate formerly known as Waldo Pets at 8011 Wornall Road and is poised to unleash what he plans to call Waldo Village.

“This place was built in 1927 and was (originally) a roadhouse,” Sutton says. “Back in the 1920s this was all out in the country and they didn’t have water. That’s the old water tower (on the south end of the building).”

While Sutton’s game plan is still unfolding, there’s plenty of parking out front and in back and the old roadhouse stage – and massive parquet dance floor – hidden to all but the nosiest pet shop patrons – beckons to a live entertainment operator, Sutton says.

Jardine’s South, anyone?

“It’s a little over 15,000 square feet,” Sutton says. “It’s a village – we’re thinking about calling it Waldo Village because we’re going to fill it with little businesses.”

Potential tenants on Sutton’s wish list include an 8,000 square foot live entertainment venue/nightclub/restaurant such as Jardine’s, a Dunkin Donuts, a security company, beauty salon, a smaller pet store, a landscaping company and a massive upstairs living space.

The impetus for Sutton’s purchase of the property and the village concept:

“Well, I just thought it was a natural,” he says. “As a benefit to Waldo.”

The ETA on Sutton’s makeover of the building and block: 60 to 90 days.

“It’s going to be the best thing that ever happened to Waldo,” Sutton says. “This place has a great history and we want to maintain that. My hope is to make it into a multiple use facility. And it will be (perfect) for people like a beauty salon, a locksmith, an insurance agent. And there are two spaces (in back) for like a lawn service, landscaping, electrician and/or heating and cooling operator. And we’d like to have another small pet store in here with puppies and kittens and bunnies.

“We’re going to clean everything up and beautify the building. We’re getting rid of the boarded up look.”

Stay tuned…