The Madison retail and apartment project moving along

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- The former St. Joseph Trunk Company building, now known as The Madison, is moving along and ready for apartment tenants in the near future.

One longstanding building on Felix Street in Downtown St. Joseph is undergoing a makeover from its new owner, in hopes of reviving the area.

Jamie Donaldson, co-owner of Juniper Lane on Frederick and Fox Creek Designs, purchased the building in 2025, previously known as the St. Joseph Trunk Company building, and has been working on the rehabilitation project.

Known now as The Madison, the building will have two retail spaces and eight apartments. Donaldson, the retail developer and designer, aims to make each space as unique and move-in ready as possible.

"Because I'm a designer, they're going to be above and beyond just your standard white box, which I'm really excited about. It drives me crazy to see the gray walls and gray everything all the time," said Donaldson. "This building has a lot of good architectural features that we're going to keep. And so each of these apartments is going to have a little bit different design in its own personality, which I think is super exciting."

Donaldson hopes whoever rents the spots will contribute to the life and variety the downtown community is seeking to offer. Donaldson chose to rehab the space due to its proximity to so many amenities — especially being right across the street from Coleman Hawkins Park, which is set to undergo a remodel soon.

Along with many community positives, Donaldson believes this building is worth saving, and she's excited to see its possibilities come to life.

"I really think this project is about community and redevelopment and bringing our community together to enjoy what we have down here," Donaldson shared. "We get so many out-of-towners who absolutely adore the architecture that we have downtown, and so I would love to have the community come together and really rally behind this and all of the small businesses that are down here and, like I said, keep the momentum going."

The current timing for the building, according to Donaldson, is that she hopes to have apartments being filled in by late fall or early winter of 2026. She said the retail spaces are also nearing the finish line for tenants to move in; they are just waiting for approval to finish the flooring.

She believes she offers a competitive advantage for those who want to live or work out of Madison, saying they have kept the architectural beauty while offering more up-to-date facilities, including wiring and more.

If you're interested in applying for a rental in the apartments or retail spaces, click here.