Commercial development flourishing in Ozark

If you haven't driven south of Springfield on Highway 65 to Ozark for a while, you may be surprised at the amount of commercial construction and road upgrades occurring, especially at the intersection with CC and J. The recently completed James River Assembly of God is just the tip of the iceberg.

The Fried Green T'amadas restaurant, Fremont Towne Centre and other office buildings are now under construction on the west side of 65 at CC. The Sixty-Five Marketplace, planned for the east side of 65 at J, will feature a Price Cutter grocery store, Hampton Inn, Scrambler's restaurant and many other businesses.

"The growth in Christian County is overwhelming," said Christian County Presiding Commissioner Roy Matthews. There are several factors that have helped make Christian County the fastest growing county in the state, he said. These include Springfield's Medical Mile, the diverse types of industry in the area and the county's close proximity to Springfield and Branson.

The availability of water and sewer lines at the intersection of Highway 65 and CC/J has made it possible for development to flourish. And infrastructure is always an issue, according to Ozark City Administrator Collin Quigley.

"As growth continues, there are infrastructure needs that pop up all over the city. With the growth we see in the future, it's a constant battle to keep up with infrastructure needs. It's a challenge to get issues taken care of and get the infrastructure in place. But it's not the worst thing a city can have," Quigley said.

Although most of the large new subdivisions such as McGuffey Park, Waterford Estates, Turnberry Estates and Mulberry Ridge are being built on Ozark's north side, Quigley said three subdivisions are located near the Finley River and Riverside Inn, closer to the center of Ozark. As more people move to Ozark and more businesses open, increased traffic puts greater demands on the highways.

The Missouri Department of Transportation is widening CC and J intersection, making it three lanes from 22nd Street west of 65 to where Highway J meets Highway NN east of 65. Traffic signals will be added at the on and off ramps, and a right-turn lane from the west will make for easier access to Price Cutter Park at 17th Street.

The widening of the intersection should be complete in mid-May, with signals going in weeks after that, according to Dave Gordon, highway designer for MoDOT District 8.

In the future, the outer roads will be moved on both sides of the interchange.

The developers of the 72-acre Sixty-Five Marketplace will build James River Road to provide access to the shopping center and James River Assembly. The road will feature a traffic signal at its intersection with Highway J and 17th Street, just east of 65.

Matthews called MoDOT's intersection improvements and the planned widening of Highway 14 on the east side of Ozark, "Band-Aid" solutions.

"Traffic will get worse every day. It will take major work to overcome the problems," he said.

But Ozark continues to attract thousands of new residents who want a small-town atmosphere, Quigley said.

"We hope not to lose that small-town feeling. I hear from residents in the northern part of the city who moved to Ozark because of that feeling. It's a benefit and an attractive feature we don't want to lose," he said.