Springfield Business Journal_2019-10-14

Audio/Visual Access Control Audio/Visual Intrusion Audio/Visual Video Surveillance AUDIO/VISUAL • FIRE ALARM • NURSE CALL • SECURITY ECCOINC.COM/SBJ Serving the Midwest since 1958 Over 10,000 Completed Projects FROM A LOCAL AND ESTABLISHED INTEGRATOR END-TO-END SECURITY SYSTEM INTEGRATION 24 · SBJ.NET OCT 14-20, 2019 FROM THE COVER Thompson is slated to review allegations of misconduct by Fisk regarding personal financial interest statements and possible financial gain in the sale of any services to the city. The city has agreed to pay $225 per hour for his ser- vices. According to city spokes- woman Cora Scott, officials have neither set a budget for the hearing examiner’s expense nor a timeline for the process. St. Louis attorney Kevin O’Keefe was hired as outside counsel after Springfield City Attorney Rhonda Lewsader and her staff recused themselves. He submitted a memo to the city on Sept. 24 that dismissed some allegations against Fisk – except those related to the nondisclosure of a city contract with Fisk Limousines, resulting in the ap- pointment of Thompson. “I am pleased with the exonerating con- clusions of the attorney that was hired by the council to evaluate the complaints against me because they showed there was no basis for any of the allegations,” Fisk said in her statement. Thompson cannot directly remove Fisk but will make a recommendation to coun- cil, Scott said via email. A public hearing was not opened be- fore the Oct. 7 vote to appoint Thompson, causing council to circle back to reopen and revote on the resolution later in the meet- ing. There were no speakers during the public hearing. Additionally, Fisk called for an update to city charter. “Our city charter hasn’t been updated in decades and needs to be reviewed and updated to reflect the 21st century,” she said in her statement. “We need clarification in the meantime so what I’ve gone through doesn’t happen to my fellow colleagues on council or any employee of the city of Springfield.” Baptist Student Union Council considered rezoning two properties at National Ave- nue and Page Street to make way for a $10 million mixed-use de- velopment by the Missouri General Baptist Association. According to city documents, the devel- opment proposal at 852 and 906 S. National Ave. across from Missouri State University and 1224 and 1234 E. Page St. in the Roun- tree neighborhood, calls for multifamily residential, a new Baptist Student Union and commercial space. The applicants would tear down the existing Baptist Stu- dent Union, at 906 S. National Ave. They plan to build a five-story, 70,000-80,000-square-foot structure with 65 microefficiency units and 17 two-bed- room apartments. A project rendering by Hood Rich Inc. shows two mixed-use build- ings connected by a glass walkway on mul- tiple levels overlooking a courtyard. The development is designed with 1,500 square feet of restaurant space and 1,550 square feet of retail space, along with an on- site volleyball court. It features a proposed pedestrian walkway over National Avenue to the MSU campus, said Billy Kimmons, principal architect at Hood-Rich, who rep- resented the applicant at the meeting. The plans include developing National Avenue as a public transport corridor to im- prove walkability and pedestrian safety, and closing off driveway access from the street to the 2.2-acre property, Kimmons said. Parking in the proposed project area would increase to 125, Kimmons said, from the existing 117 spaces. Hood-Rich officials have held a meeting with the Rountree Neighborhood Associa- tion representatives to get feedback. “While I can’t offer a formal letter of en- dorsement from the Rountree Neighbor- hood Association, I would say we have their general support,” Kimmons said. Reached after the meeting, Rountree as- sociation Chairwoman Laurel Bryant said the development plan provides opportunity for public meeting space and a farmers market. “We recognize that it does comply with the new Rountree plan and are hopeful the BSU will service the neighborhood, not just the students,” she said. “We see creative spirit bringing about services we can all use.” Bryant said one concern in the pedes- trian-oriented neighborhood is a growing number of student housing and traffic vol- ume. Council is scheduled to vote on the re- zoning request Oct. 21. Baptist officials have previously targeted a mid-2021 completion, with council approval. Stormwater grant Kirkland Preston, a stormwater engineer in the city’s Public Works Department, pre- sented a grant proposal for a stormwater improvement project. Council unanimously agreed to apply for a $175,637 grant from the Missouri Depart- ment of Natural Resources for construction of the Stormwater Improvement Project on Fassnight Creek at the Springfield Art Mu- seum. “If awarded, the city would need to pro- vide a 50% match for these funds,” Preston told council. Planned improvements include the re- moval of an impervious concrete channel that runs south of the museum building from National to Kings avenues. Accord- ing to the grant application, plants native to Missouri would be positioned along the 1,000-linear-foot channel for aesthetic and water quality purposes. “The concrete would be removed and the cross-section would be widened,” he said. “The objectives of the project are to modify the channel for flood control and natural- ize the channel for urban habitat and water quality benefits.” The project is part of the museum’s $19 million, 30-year master plan. The storm- water project cost is around $1.8 million, Preston said. Council: $10M project under review Continued from page 1 C I T Y B E AT from the Oct. 7 City Council Meeting For minutes and schedule visit: Springfieldmo.gov/ CityCouncil