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Victory Mission's rezoning will allow the nonprofit to rebuild its men's shelter. The $7 million project calls for a two-story shelter, three duplexes and expanded parking.
SBJ graphic by Amanda Miller
Victory Mission's rezoning will allow the nonprofit to rebuild its men's shelter. The $7 million project calls for a two-story shelter, three duplexes and expanded parking.

City Beat: Victory Mission project gets green light

Council unanimously approves nonprofit's rezoning request for $7 million shelter rebuild

Posted online

Springfield City Council gave approval to a rezoning request by Victory Mission & Ministry that paves the way for the nonprofit’s plan to rebuild its men’s shelter.

Council unanimously voted at its Jan. 25 meeting to rezone nearly 2 acres at 1610 N. Broadway Ave. and 1701 N. Irving Ave. to a planned development from highway commercial zoning. The decision allows Victory Mission to redevelop its shelter, dubbed Victory Square, into a two-story, modern facility, as well as add three duplexes on the southern half of the property.

Victory Mission officials estimate the total project cost at $7 million, with $6.5 million devoted to the 42,600-square-foot shelter. The remaining $500,000 is for a second-phase construction of duplexes. Plans call for the existing shelter to remain in use until the new building’s completion, at which time it would be demolished to make way for additional parking.

Executive Director Jason Hynson said after the meeting he was “overjoyed” with council’s decision.

“This was a huge win for us,” he said. “To get that approved and have a unanimous decision, it’s really good.”

The project currently has no scheduled start and is expected to take a year from the launch date. The project architect is Dake Wells Architecture Inc., Hynson said, noting Anderson Engineering Inc. provided engineering work for the site plan. However, he added Victory Mission has yet to determine engineering firms for the project. A general contractor also has not been hired, Hynson said, adding the nonprofit didn’t want to move past developing a project site plan before hearing from council on the zoning request.

“At this point, we’re going to regroup with our board and our development committee and see what our next steps are,” he said.

Victory Mission officials say the current shelter operates in an outdated and obsolete former nursing home, which sits west of historic C-Street and between Commercial and Division streets. Victory Mission has used the building since 2001 as both a 50-bed overnight shelter and 110-bed transitional service shelter. Officials say there is no plan to change the intensity or scope of services provided.

Prior to the vote, councilperson Phyllis Ferguson said she has concerns about trash generated in the neighborhood near the shelter. She wants Victory Mission to consider adopting the corner of Division and Commercial streets as a trash pickup area.

“It is a gateway into the Commercial Street historic business district and would look a far sight better if we didn’t have a bunch of trash on that corner,” Ferguson said, noting her “yes” vote was made with some reservation.

Hynson said he was receptive to Ferguson’s suggestion.

Council’s rezoning approval follows unanimous support by the city Planning and Zoning Commission in December.

Second reading bills
• Council unanimously approved rezoning land at National Avenue and Primrose Street for CoxHealth to build a parking garage. According to bill documents, the garage is slated for the southeast corner of the intersection on land currently undeveloped to provide parking for employees and patients at CoxSouth Hospital and the Wheeler Heart and Vascular Center.

• To pave the way for the multimillion-dollar youth sports complex planned in northwest Springfield, council unanimously approved an annexation and rezoning of the land. Developers have said they’re spending $15 million-$20 million to build athletic fields and facilities, centered around soccer, on property adjacent to Deer Lake Golf Club. Deer Lake Partners LLC and JJ&J Inc. asked the city to annex 239 acres, including the golf course, and rezone it to highway commercial. Documents provided to council said, “The applicant intends to retain the golf course and facilitate the development of the vacant 105 acres to the west for a sports complex along with other office, temporary lodging and retail uses.”

• Council unanimously passed an addendum to the annual agreement with the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc., which council approved in June. It also amends the city budget in excess of $1.6 million to reflect current and projected operational changes. The CVB received over $1.6 million in a Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act grant via the Missouri Division of Tourism, which increased the local agency’s revenue budget. CVB officials intend to run an advertising campaign this fiscal year with the CARES Act money.

Trail attention
Several pedestrian trails and sidewalks are expected to get upgrades this year through projects totaling over $560,000. Public Works Director Dan Smith presented council with four bills and the low bids by contractors.

• KCI Construction Co. is the low bidder at $159,176 to extend the Fassnight Creek Greenway to connect with Phelps Grove Park and the Springfield Art Museum. Additionally, a new sidewalk is slated along Luster Avenue from Seminole to Sunset streets. The sidewalk project was bid in conjunction with the Fassnight trail work to size projects for bidding purposes, according to city officials.

• A portion of the Galloway trail is to be reconstructed between Sequiota Park and Republic Road. Liming Concrete LLC is low bidder at $141,380.

• A new sidewalk is planned along Lone Pine Avenue to Greenwood Street and will connect directly to the Galloway trail, while a traffic signal is to be added at Lone Pine and Greenwood Street. D&E Plumbing & Heating Inc. is the low bidder at $163,051.

• KCI Construction Co. also is the low bidder at $98,685 on plans to provide a new sidewalk between Swallow Street and Aladdin Court.

City officials said each low bid for the projects came in less than the engineer’s estimate.

“We’ve been working with local contractors and working on how we can make city projects more attractive,” Smith said, noting the city also allowed online bidding. “We got up to seven bidders on some of these projects.”

Council approved all but the Galloway trail sidewalk project, as its bill had a couple of inaccuracies in the project description that required an amendment. It will return for a vote on Feb. 8.

On camera
City Manager Jason Gage told council the body-worn camera program implementation for Springfield Police Department began Jan. 25. With the council’s approval in October, the city entered into a contract with Motorola Solutions Inc. (NYSE: MSI) for the purchase of 240 body-worn cameras and hardware. Total first-year cost for the equipment purchase and full implementation of the program is roughly $612,000, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting.

Gage said more than 200 patrol officers are being assigned and fitted with a camera. According to SPD policy, the devices will be in operation during all citizen interactions.

“This program has been in the works for several months and we are happy to finally see it come to fruition,” Springfield Police Chief Paul Williams said in a news release. “We hope this will help increase transparency and foster greater trust between law enforcement and the community.”

The program is funded through the quarter-cent capital improvement sales tax, with estimated ongoing annual costs of $125,000, according to past reporting.

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