Chamber of Commerce: Vital projects enhance community growth

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I've lived in or near Springfield nearly all my life, yet I don't recall a time when the city was more alive and the economic outlook brighter than it is right now. |ret||ret||tab|

At the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce part of what we try to do is make economic development happen, working daily to facilitate projects that will bring new capital investment to our community. As we look down the road, we see plenty of new development coming our way that will benefit everyone, and that obviously includes those who are involved in the construction industry. And rightly so, because, after all, they're the ones that bring dreams and designs to life. |ret||ret||tab|

Here at the chamber we're especially excited about Jordan Valley Park, Partnership Industrial Center West and the Wonders of Wildlife Museum. These three efforts will add great value to our community and will ultimately come to fruition as a result of the work done by our colleagues in construction.|ret||ret||tab|

Jordan Valley Park has had chamber of commerce support from its inception and continues to occupy a place on our priorities list as Springfield stands on the threshold of beginning construction. Within the next three years we'll see more than $55 million invested in the park, and that's just the beginning. |ret||ret||tab|

A recreational ice rink, multipurpose arena, baseball stadium, improved exposition space and beautiful park-like open space will attract who knows how many additional visitors to center city each year, along with the dollars they'll spend there. |ret||ret||tab|

Add to that the new enterprises that will certainly spring up to support all this new development, and the result will be what Springfieldians have always wanted an abundance of great reasons to go downtown.|ret||ret||tab|

Partnership Industrial Center West will be the culmination of 24 months of planning and effort by the partner members of the Springfield Business and Development Corporation. It comes on the heels of near total build out of the first Partnership Industrial Center, which has been phenomenally successful. There are only three lots left on the 316 acres that make up the original PIC. |ret||ret||tab|

During the seven years that the center has been in existence, 19 new manufacturing facilities have been added representing $160 million of investment and creating or retaining 2,500 jobs. PIC West will encompass 300 acres of ground and is projected to attract about $175 million in new investment dollars. |ret||ret||tab|

The development will be aesthetically pleasing, the resulting jobs of high quality, and it will provide yet another shot in the arm to the Springfield economy.|ret||ret||tab|

Wonders Of Wildlife, the American National Fish and Wildlife Museum is going to be fantastic in several ways. First of all, it's going to be a one-of-a-kind attraction. The word "museum" doesn't describe it accurately because it's really going to be a living exhibit of the great outdoors. |ret||ret||tab|

A 220,000-gallon shark tank, 140,000-gallon pond, live animals and a cave will be part of what visitors will experience. A taste of what it will look like may be had by taking a virtual tour via the museum's Web site at |bold_on|www.wondersofwildlife.org. |ret||ret||tab|

From an economic development point of view, we have to like the $51 million being invested in the project. And we have to love the visitors that it will attract to Springfield, a projected one million plus annually. Is there a chance that they might stay in hotels, shop, dine in our restaurants and visit other attractions while they're here? You bet, and that's the kind of thing that chamber of commerce professionals love to see happen.|ret||ret||tab|

All of these projects obviously involve a lot of construction. What's truly wonderful is that much of the money spent on building these projects will go into the hands of Springfield contractors. So, we'll have hundreds of millions of dollars pouring into the local economy, much of it from outside the community. And very little of that new money is leaving. It's staying right here giving our citizens access to good paying jobs, helping fund public services, and generally improving the quality of life for everyone. |ret||ret||tab|

The Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce is happy to join others in saluting our friends in the construction industry. We look forward to many more years of working with you as we continue to aggressively foster economic development in Springfield. |ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|(Sonja Chasteen is business assistance manager at the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce.)|ret||ret||tab|

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