Springfield Business Journal_2020-08-03

Branson nonprofit goes tiny with housing project by Mike Cullinan · mcullinan@sbj.net A Branson nonprofit is developing a tiny homes community just north of its campus with a fall 2021 debut targeted. The development, dubbed Elevate Com- munity, is the project of Elevate Branson, a 12-year-old nonprofit focused on combat- ting poverty in the Branson area. The village development will occupy 5 acres just north of the nonprofit’s 310 Gret- na Road campus in Branson. Spokesperson Ann McDowell said the development is scheduled to be complete in two phases of 24 homes each. Phase I is expected to open next year, followed by Phase II in 2022. “We’re hoping to move in our first resi- dent in October of 2021,” said Elevate Branson co-founder Bryan Stallings.  While the Herschend Family Founda- tion donated the land, Stallings said the organization is seeking grant opportunities to pay for clearing and infrastructure work.  “We won’t know exactly until we go through the engineering process, but we’re probably looking at $2 million in infra- structure costs for the whole five acres,” he said.   Feels like home Some infrastructure expenses will be covered via $35,000 sponsorships for each house, Stallings said. Village Home Build- ers is manufacturing the 400-square-foot See TINY on page 15 Council OKs Grant Avenue Parkway administrative delay C I T Y B E AT from the July 27 City Council meeting • Rights-of-way negotiations are at a standstill near Highland Springs Country Club. • Gloria Deo Academy needs a zoning change to open a private school on the southwest side. • Council approved three community improvement districts worth $15.6 million in public improvements. Full City Council coverage is at SBJ.net/citybeat See COUNCIL on page 7 by Kathryn Hardison · khardison@sbj.net Springfield City Council on July 27 unan- imously approved a 180-day administrative delay of demolition, new construction, re- platting and rezoning along the Grant Av- enue Parkway. City Planning and Development Director Mary Lilly Smith said the extra time will be used to gather public input on the project and prepare improvement recommenda- tions for council. The Grant Avenue Parkway project is designed to create a greenway trail system and transportation improvements along a 3.3-mile stretch of Grant Avenue from Sun- shine Street to Walnut Street – connecting downtown with Wonders of Wildlife Na- tional Museum & Aquarium. The city was awarded $21 million in federal grant fund- ing last year for the project, and roughly $5.2 million in city matching funds are re- quired. The public engagement process is sched- uled to kick off Aug. 18 with a virtual ses- sion livestreamed on the city’s website and Facebook page, said Cora Scott, the city’s director of public information and civic en- gagement. Virtual neighborhood engagement meet- ings will follow in late August for the West Central and Fassnight neighborhoods. Scott said city staff members also are developing a public engagement session at Parkview High School with a drive-thru format. Ad- ditionally, staff is working to form advisory committees, conduct citywide surveying and contract a project consultant, she said. The Grant Avenue Parkway must be complete by 2026, according to the grant provisions. Sewer easements City staff presented an ordinance to council that reaffirms the city’s ability to condemn authority on negotiations of property for the Hunt Branch Trunk sewer project. It comes in light of an easement ac- quisition that’s necessary to extend sewer access to the U.S. Highway 60 corridor in southeast Springfield. Errin Kemper, city director of environ- mental services, said proposed develop- ments are waiting to start construction until the sewer infrastructure can be ex- tended. Kemper said the city has reached rights- of-way agreements with eight of the 11 tracts in the project area. The property owner of the remaining three tracts, Bryant Farms of SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL · 3 AUG. 3-9, 2020 NEWS IN THIS ISSUE French cafes and Wes Anderson movies inspire a new Rountree neighborhood bar. PAGE 5 Gun and ammo sales are making noise at Sound of Freedom range in Ozark. PAGE 6 Vol. 41 No. 2 A letter to the editor calls for passage of Medicaid expan sion, aka Amendment 2. OPINION PAGE 23 An entire culture of Chinese food in Springfield grew out of one man and one dish .” —James Clary, a restaurant consultant, on David Leong’s legacy PAGE 20 QUOTE OF THE WEEK provided by ELEVATE BRANSON  ON DISPLAY  A model 400-square-foot house is temporarily located in the parking lot of Elevate Branson’s campus to promote Elevate Community.