$30M for Springfield convention center placed under restricted spending by Kehoe

A $30 million earmark for a new Springfield convention center that was added by legislators in the budgeting process earlier this year is facing some uncertainty with the final fiscal 2026 budget signed Monday by Gov. Mike Kehoe.

In announcing his signature on a roughly $50.8 billion operating budget in a news release yesterday, Kehoe pointed to 208 vetoes totaling nearly $300 million in general revenue and restricted spending on 32 budget items that total $211 million in general revenue. Restricted spending refers to money that will only be spent if Kehoe specifically orders it or if legislators vote to override him, according to the Missouri Independent.

The $30 million earmark for a Springfield convention center was included under restricted spending.

"These restrictions are not an indication of project worthiness – we understand their value, and that’s why we chose not to veto them," Kehoe said in the release. "Rather, these withholds allow us to direct Missourians’ hard-earned tax dollars toward the most critical programs and projects that support Missouri families."

The Springfield convention center earmark – included in the Missouri Senate’s budget proposal for fiscal 2026 – calls for one-to-one matching funds for a convention and event center, and the city of Springfield has committed to a $30 million match, according to past reporting. Missouri Sen. Lincoln Hough, R-Springfield, previously told Springfield Business Journal that the actual cost of a new convention center could exceed $100 million.

In a city statement provided to Springfield Business Journal this morning, Mayor Jeff Schrag said a new convention center "would serve our residents just as powerfully as it serves our economy.”

“We are grateful to Gov. Kehoe for leaving these funds in the budget. It is not vetoed," Schrag said in the statement. “This project has long been a dream of our community – a place to gather, to celebrate, to do business and to build connections."

The statement indicated that a convention center feasibility study commissioned in 2024 by the city, the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Springfield Association and Visit Springfield, Missouri, will be presented to City Council on July 8 by Mark Hecquet, president and CEO of Visit Springfield, Missouri. The study was conducted by Hunden Strategic Partners.

The convention center could generate a $1.34 billion economic impact and nearly $64 million in direct state taxes over a 30-year period, according to the statement.

"It confirms that Springfield is ready for this investment,” Hecquet said in the statement of the convention center study. "The ripple effect will be felt across our city and beyond: new jobs, new businesses such as restaurants and other amenities, increased tourism and an elevated platform to showcase all Springfield has to offer.”

The addition of a new convention center has been long discussed in Springfield, but a location has not been determined. Sites near the Springfield Expo Center and Bass Pro Shops' flagship store have been floated in the past. 

Other Springfield-area funding initiatives that were restricted or vetoed by Kehoe include the following:
• $25 million for wastewater improvements in Republic (vetoed)
• $4 million for Branson Highway 76 West improvements (restricted)
• $4 million out of $10 million added for Highway MM corridor infrastructure in Greene County (vetoed)
• $2 million for Phase II of Greene County regional law enforcement center (restricted) and $2 million out of $4 million added for same project (vetoed)
• $1.63 million out of $3.25 million added for a Mercy Springfield residency program (vetoed)
• $1 million for Citizens Memorial Hospital (restricted)
• $1 million for Community Partnership of the Ozarks (vetoed)
• $675,000 out of $925,000 added for Best Life in Recovery in Springfield (vetoed)
• $600,000 for Missouri State University science fair and engineering (vetoed)
• $550,000 out of $1.1 million added for Greene County Courthouse improvements (vetoed)
• $500,000 out of $1 million added for Good Samaritan Boys Ranch transitional living (vetoed)
• $500,000 out of $800,000 added for I Pour Life (vetoed)
• $300,000 for a math program by Crosslines Community Outreach, formerly Council of Churches of the Ozarks (vetoed)
• $250,000 for Drew Lewis Foundation Inc.'s RISE program (vetoed)
• $250,000 for HOPE Foundation in Springfield (vetoed)
• $250,000 for a road spur in Seymour along Route 60 (restricted)