City dedicates $1.7M green infrastructure project at Ozark Empire Fairgrounds

A green infrastructure project with a price tag of $1.7 million will help the city of Springfield and the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds & Event Center improve water quality treatment in Zone 1, officials say.

The city's Department of Environmental Services was joined by stakeholders from Ozark Empire Fairgrounds and construction industry firms that worked on the project at a dedication ceremony held Thursday afternoon. The project, which includes rain garden features with native plantings, pervious pavers, bioretention and a hydrodynamic separator, is on the west side of Ozark Empire Fairgrounds and east of the Dickerson Park Zoo parking lot.

"The main purpose of green infrastructure is to treat stormwater, whether it's providing water quality benefits or reducing flooding," said Saki Urushidani, Environmental Services project manager.

Urushidani said some 100 acres of drainage come through the site, and with its placement on a hill off the Fairgrounds parking lot, it's been an area prone to erosion and trash issues. She noted the city owns the Fairgrounds property and leases it to the Fairgrounds organization.

Aaron Owen, CEO of Ozark Empire Fairgrounds, said the project already has benefited the organization that welcomes more than 800,000 visitors a year.

"This was well overdue and has been great for us to improve the water quality. We used to get tires, TVs, all kinds of trash," Owen said. "Our board is extremely proud of this project."

Olsson Inc. designed the project that was constructed by Branco Enterprises Inc., said Urushidani. Construction started around the spring on the project, which was partially funded through $700,000 in American Rescue Plan Act water infrastructure funds administered through the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. The remainder comes through the Environmental Services Clean Water Enterprise Fund, officials say.

Urushidani said the Fairgrounds project is part of around $37.5 million in green infrastructure initiatives planned by the city. The 15-year plan went into effect in 2021, she said, and includes Renew Jordan Creek and other projects.