2014 Economic Impact Awards Business Advocate of the Year: Mary Lilly Smith

Mary Lilly Smith remembers shopping at Heer’s when all seven retail floors were open, but for nearly 20 years the vacant high rise in downtown Springfield has been the albatross around her neck.

“Heer’s has become an icon for downtown and a barometer for redevelopment,” says Smith, Springfield’s economic development director. “I’ve been director for 16 years. A portion of my whole career has been devoted to that project.”

Following a June 20 groundbreaking ceremony from developers Dalmark Group and Heer’s Luxury Living, Smith says the $15.7 million project, “is really going to happen this time.”

“I represented the city in the development agreements for the Heer’s building all four times,” she says. “Downtown development is never easy and some of these projects bear that out, but they’re worth it and they need an advocate to see them to fruition.”

Smith is that advocate and her voice can be heard across the Queen City.

Early on, she helped establish a framework for a second industrial park that now boasts nine companies, more than 550 jobs and $100 million in private investment.

Smith’s voice also can be heard in the $49 million reinvestment in Springfield’s Kraft Foods, $143 million in two new hospitals by Mercy along Evans Road, at the $22 million Farmers Park on the city’s southeast side and in the 90 acre mixed-use Springfield Plaza, currently under development on the west side.

Smith not only created the city’s economic development incentive policy in 2011, but also was point person for the first industrial bond deal in the city in almost 50 years and the first property tax abatements in more than 20 years. She’s also had her hand in helping establish four enhanced enterprise zones and multiple community improvement districts, most notably the Downtown Springfield CID.

“Downtown redevelopment has been a passion of mine and I’ve had so much fun seeing my projects come to fruition,” she says. “Downtown is the heart of the community and is key to a vibrant community.”

Smith represented the city in deals for Jordan Valley Park, which resulted in the construction of Mediacom Ice Park, Hammons Field, the Expo Center and a parking deck. She also worked negotiations to bring BKD LLP’s corporate headquarters to University Plaza and on the College Station project, which netted a 14-screen theater and two parking decks, so far.

Even before her time as economic development director, Smith was working for the betterment of the Queen City. Taking a job in the city’s planning department 32 years ago, the Houston, Mo., native put her Missouri State University bachelor’s in urban and regional planning to work for the preservation of Walnut Street.

“It was my first project with the city and I got a grant to help. We had to demo a lot of houses and encourage the Greek organizations to move,” she said. “I take pride in the fact that we were able to preserve the whole street from Hammons (Parkway) to Glenstone (Avenue).”

Smith says that pride is an attitude that’s caught on over the years.

“There was an attitude change toward redevelopment,” she says of city staff. “We turned a, ‘that won’t be approved’ attitude on end and said ‘what do we want to happen and how can we get it there?’

“We just needed to think outside the box.”[[In-content Ad]]