College of the Ozarks opens McKibben Center

Four years after the groundbreaking for the McKibben Center, College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout will dedicate the building on Saturday during the school's homecoming festivities.

The 18,000-square-foot structure features 4,000 square feet of glass and houses the college's education and nursing departments, according to a news release.

Education has long been one of the top three majors chosen by C of O students. Currently, there are 319 education majors among the school's 1,344 students. Prior to the opening of McKibben Center, the education department was located on the second floor of the Memorial Fieldhouse.

"The new building is equipped with the instructional technology necessary for preparing effective pre-K-12 teachers," education profession Dana McMahon said in the release. "The facility will also aid the program in meeting the guidelines for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education."

According to previous SBJ coverage, the school spent about $4 million to build McKibben Center. Springfield-based Butler, Rosenbury & Partners Inc. was the architect and the structural engineer for the project, and the firm also provided landscaping services. Another Springfield firm, Malone Finkle Eckhardt & Collins Inc., was the mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineer.

For more Ozarks construction news, see the Nov. 3 issue of Springfield Business Journal, which will feature In Focus: Salute to Construction.[[In-content Ad]]