City to hold public forum Tuesday for IDEA Commons

A public forum to discuss the development of a plan for the IDEA Commons planning area is scheduled for Tuesday.

The city of Springfield Planning and Development department will hold a public forum 5:30–7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Brick City Gallery, 215 W. Mill St., to discuss the development of IDEA Commons, a Missouri State University concept designed to bring together innovation, design, entrepreneurship and the arts.

The city originally passed the Jordan Valley Innovation Center Activity Center Plan in 2006 to cover future development and planning in the area, but when IDEA Commons was created, that plan became obsolete.

Plans for Tuesday's meeting include an open house 5:30–6 p.m. Staff will present the IDEA Commons Background Report and leave time for an open forum for discussion and public comment.

Following the Tuesday meeting, staff will take the public comment and put together a plan, which will eventually go to the city Planning and Zoning Commission and then to Springfield City Council for approval. The city hopes to have that plan approved by September, according to the release.

IDEA Commons is a subdistrict comprising 88 acres in the Jordan Valley Concept Plan, according to a city news release, bounded by Chestnut Expressway to the north, Water Street to the south, Campbell Avenue to the west and Jordan Creek to the east.

A copy of the initial plan and the background report on the area can be found on the city Web site.[[In-content Ad]]