(KTTS News) — There’s a second public meeting and open house today to talk about the planning and development process for the Lake Springfield area.
The city plans to use grant money to develop a master plan for how to reuse the land around the decommissioned James River Power Plant.
The plan should be finished by the summer of 2024.
Today’s meeting is from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Lake Springfield Boathouse at 2312 Lake Springfield Park Road.
Power station tours are available from 2:30 to 4:30 this afternoon.
Press Release
The City of Springfield and City Utilities will host a second public meeting and open house 4:30-6:30 p.m. Thursday May 4 at Lake Springfield Boathouse, 2312 Lake Springfield Park Road, to update the community on the planning process for the Lake Springfield area and zero in on specific goals. Power station tours will be available 2:30-4:30 p.m. Sign up at lakesgfplan.com/tour to reserve your spot.
The May 4 event is the latest in a series of community engagement opportunities to outline the community’s vision for the Lake Springfield area, which was identified as a redevelopment opportunity area during the City’s Forward SGF comprehensive planning process.
Residents, neighbors, business owners, developers, schools, parks, non-profit agencies and more will collectively take part in identifying the areas of opportunity and challenges in the area.
The plan, projected to be complete by summer 2024, will be a catalyst for new economic development and recreational opportunities. Components will include:
- recreational expansion opportunities
- adaptive reuse planning for the decommissioned power station
- hydrological studies
- water quality and ecological preservation planning
- economic development and workforce development opportunities
- transportation, access and wayfinding
- land use recommendations.
“We are excited and proud to be part of this once-in-a-generation opportunity to work with our community leaders and agency partners to reimagine where the vision of Lake Springfield intersects with nature, recreation and economic development,” said Steve Prange, vice president of business development and strategy director for Crawford, Murphy and Tilly, the engineering and consulting firm selected as the consultant for the planning project. “We realized early on that we were going to need a very unique team for this project. We assembled a diverse team of planners, engineers, architects, environmental scientists, economists and recreation specialists that will provide a blend of local and national expertise to reimagine the potential for Lake Springfield.”
Engagements
- Nearly 100 people turned out for the first Lake SGF Plan meeting Nov. 17, 2022 at the Springfield Art Museum. The meeting included an online survey, which was available for two weeks after the event for those who couldn’t attend. Nearly 150 surveys were completed.
- The Lake SGF Plan Community Advisory Team held its first meeting with 32 attendees Nov. 15, 2022. The CAT represents various stakeholders and provides input on materials and concepts prior to the public community engagement events. A follow-up meeting was held March 21, 2023.
- A meeting held exclusively for Lake Springfield-area residents was held Oct. 12, 2022 to fill them in about the project and solicit initial feedback. More than 100 neighbors turned out for that event, which was held at the boathouse.
Additional engagements included a presence at the Chadwick Flyer Trail Showcase and engagements with Springfield-Greene County Parks, the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Springfield Sports Commission, the Watershed Committee of the Ozarks, Empower: Abilities and Encompass Academy, Greene County, the River Access Coalition and the Missouri Department of Conservation.
Background
Through an $800,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), and $200,000 from the Hatch Foundation, City Utilities of Springfield and the City of Springfield’s Environmental Services Department is funding the development of a master plan for the area, including and surrounding the former coal-powered plant (James River Power Station). Redevelopment will complement Lake Springfield Park and Boathouse, which are jointly operated by CU and the Springfield-Greene County Park Board.
Visit lakesgfplan.com/ for updates and how you can get involved.
