Springfield Business Journal_2021-03-29

has been fully vaccinated, and Towns an- ticipates meeting the 25% threshold in mid-April. “We’re going to be making good prog- ress, and I think we need to watch these next two weeks very closely,” Towns said. To fully remove the ordinance, includ- ing mandatory masking, new cases per day and hospitalizations must both be under 20 and at least 50% of the eligible population must be fully vaccinated. Councilmember Phyllis Ferguson re- cused herself in the vote, cit- ing the potential for financial gain. Ferguson, the chief op- erating officer of Mexican Villa, has abstained from vot- ing on the masking mandate, as well, due to her role in the restaurant industry that must enforce COVID-19 regula- tions. Grant Avenue plan Council also unanimously adopted the Grant Avenue Parkway Corridor Plan as part of the city’s Comprehen- sive Plan. Randall Whitman, principal city plan- ner, said the corridor plan area covers 1.25 miles of Grant Avenue between Col- lege and Catalpa streets, including areas within 500 feet east and west of the Grant Avenue centerline. The entire Grant Avenue Parkway proj- ect runs the 3-mile stretch from College to Sunshine Street, with the goal of connect- ing downtown to the Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium. “This area represents the best oppor- tunity to affect positive neighborhood re- vitalization and leverage the $21 million BUILD grant to incentivize new develop- ment and redevelopment,” Whitman told council. In November 2019, Sen. Roy Blunt’s office announced Springfield as the re- cipient of $21 million in grant funds through the U.S. De- partment of Transportation’s Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development Transportation Discretionary Grants Program to design and build the Grant Avenue Park- way. City staff and the Forward SGF Comprehensive Plan consultant, Houseal Lavigne Associates, completed the plan after six months of pub- lic input, engaging more than 2,000 individuals. Whitman said during public engage- ment processes the city heard concerns about land use and disruption and dis- placement during improvements. The adopted plan includes opportuni- ties for improvement of the corridor’s framework, roadway, future development and placemaking. It also makes specific recommendations for rezoning of proper- ties, Whitman said. “This gives us an opportunity to re- new part of our city that really needs it,” said Councilmember Andrew Lear. “It’ll evolve, it’ll take time, but this isn’t just a road – this is all that touches it on either side, so it is a real transformational, urban prospect.” Whitman said there are two other ef- forts that will be brought before council now that the plan has been adopted: a parkway overlay zoning district to estab- lish the development code for the cor- ridor and the rezoning of parcels within approximately 72 acres into the new zon- ing district. City officials noted the plan, which can be accessed at GrantAvenueParkway.com, is a guide for decision making around the neighborhoods and public spaces along the avenue and is not regulatory. Whitman said the actions are set to come before council in June. The full Grant Avenue Park- way plan’s total funding is $26.2 million, including the $21 million federal grant and $5.2 million in matching city funds. Of that, $13.3 million is marked for construction of a greenway trail system along the stretch of Grant Avenue; $5 million for utility work; $4.7 million for right- of-way acquisitions; and $3.2 million for engineering and administrative costs, ac- cording to past reporting. Second reading bills With unanimous votes, council ap- proved two bills proposed by City Utili- ties of Springfield in an effort to reduce the financial burden of increased natural gas costs in February. The first bill ad- justs the unauthorized use charge ap- plied to natural gas usage by curtailable customers – 25 high-volume customers who agree to minimize use during a cur- tailment. Amy Derdall, vice president and chief financial officer for CU, said the one- time adjustment to unauthorized use penalties would lower the fee total from $6 million to around $1 million. The sec- ond bill allows residential and smaller commercial custom- ers to spread the additional costs of natural gas over two years rather than immediate- ly. By spreading out the cost, bills will increase by about 20% on average instead of by 100%, Derdall said. Council unanimously re- zoned 1.4 acres at 1720 W. Grand St. to general retail from low-density, multifamily residential. The lot, just south of the former Price Cutter store on the site, is currently vacant and there are no plans for development at this time, according to city documents. The property was recently platted into the Kansas at Grand subdivision along with the former Price Cutter plot to the north and an undeveloped plot to the west, fronting Kansas Expressway. The rezoned property is owned by Jordan Val- ley Community Health Center. The build- ing was purchased by Jordan Valley in December and is temporarily being used as a COVID-19 vaccination clinic with plans to develop a full clinic on site. Katie Towns anticipates the vaccination level reaching 25% by mid-April. Randall Whitman: Grant Avenue Parkway rezoning action will come to council in June. 20 · SBJ.NET MARCH 29-APRIL 4, 2021 NEWS NEWS MAY 27 | 5:30 P.M. BARLEY HOUSE AT MOON TOWN CROSSING TICKETS AT SBJ.NET/D12 IN PERSON INDIVIDUAL AWARDS CEO or Managing Partner C.J. DAVIS – Burrell Behavioral Health Chief Operations Officer ADAM ANDREASSEN – Burrell Behavioral Health Chief Financial Officer CARTER PETERS – Guaranty Bank Sales/Marketing Professional TARA BIELINSKI – Phoenix Home Care and Hospice Human Resource Professional CELESTE CRAMER – CoxHealth Employee of the Year JASON STEINGRABER – Springfield Public Schools Tenacious Company of the Year BURRELL BEHAVIORAL HEALTH TOP COMPANIES Companies listed A-Z ALPS PHARMACY ANDERSON ENGINEERING INC. BURRELL BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARSON-MITCHELL INC. FALCON ELECTRIC LLC KELLER WILLIAMS GREATER SPRINGFIELD LEGACY BANK AND TRUST LITTLE SUNSHINE’S ENTERPRISES INC. NEXT LEVEL SOLUTIONS OMG COMMERCE PURE & CLEAN LLC RUSSELL CELLULAR INC. COUNT DOWN LIVE WHICH COMPANY WILL BE NO. 1? Council: Funding tops $26M for Grant Avenue plan Continued from page 3