City Beat: Council dedicates $40.8M in sales tax revenue to museum and parks, trails

Springfield City Council passed a pair of resolutions to dedicate $40.8 million to the Springfield Art Museum and to parks, trails and corridor improvements during its meeting Feb. 23.

The legislation includes two appropriations for fiscal 2027: $15 million for the museum and $10.8 million for parks, trails and corridors.

In fiscal 2028, the museum is slated to receive an additional $15 million.

The expenditures were recommended by the city’s Citizens’ Advisory Board, which advises council on its use of the half-cent portion of the Spring Forward SGF three-quarter-cent sales tax funds. The other quarter-cent of the tax funds public safety, as Springfield Business Journal previously reported.

Most of the funds dedicated by council would pay for Phase 2 of an ongoing renovation and expansion project for the Springfield Art Museum, as recommended by the CAB on Jan. 22.

Museum Director Nick Nelson said the project leverages local funds with state, federal and philanthropic investment, and the museum will continue its private sector fundraising efforts.

“With passage of this resolution, construction will begin fall 2026,” he said. “The art museum aims to celebrate our 100th anniversary in 2028 in a fully realized facility.”

Nelson said Phase 1 focuses primarily on interior improvements, including older parts of the building, where components have reached the end of their life cycle and where sections are no longer functional.

Phase 2 aims to transform the exterior of the museum while expanding public programming areas and integrating the art museum with surrounding parkland and green space, he said.

“Phase 2 is about more than just constructing a building; it’s about creating a destination,” he said.

He added that the external transformation will create an iconic architectural presence along National Avenue.

The funds dedicated to Phase 2 will complete the project, Nelson said, but fundraising will continue to support future operations and maintenance.

Councilmember Craig Hosmer said the Spring Forward SGF tax funds allow the city to do things residents deserve.

“We deserve an art museum that is world class. We deserve parks and recreational facilities that are world class,” he said. “I think this gives us a firm step, and I think it’s also a promise to the community that we’re going to deliver on the things that make this city better.”

Councilmember Bruce Adib-Yazdi said the project is in a strategic location.

“This feels like the center of gravity of our city, and I feel like this is a really important area to continue to invest in,” he said. “I think this is going to be an amazing hub for lots of things in the future.”

Ron Schneider, director of the Springfield-Greene County Park Board, said the CAB’s recommendation of Nov. 19, 2025, would fund park improvement projects, a trail construction project and three trail and corridor planning initiatives. That November recommendation just came before council at its Feb. 23 meeting.

The projects are as follows:

• Inclusive destination playground at McDaniel Park, $645,833 – a replacement of outdated existing playground equipment

• Meador Park pickleball complex, $3.6 million – replacing existing tennis courts with at least 16 new dedicated pickleball courts and other site amenities

• Chadwick Flyer construction, $1.8 million – addition of two miles of completed trail from Kissick Avenue to Trail of Honor

• Dickerson Park Zoo improvements and master plan development, $850,000 – new eagle exhibit, nature-based playground and master plan development

• Lafayette Park master plan improvements, $1.4 million – plan approved October 2025 includes improvements like playground enhancements, pickleball courts and site amenities

• Trail and corridor planning initiatives, $2.5 million – Ozark Greenways and Public Works have prioritized UnGap the Map planning, Grant Avenue Parkway corridor planning from College Street to Hillcrest High School and a connector plan for the Frisco Highline Trail from the Kearney trailhead to downtown

Schneider said the projects would commence in July with completion in 2027 or early 2028.

Lauren Southern, assistant vice president and private banker at Simmons Bank, spoke at the council meeting in favor of the park, trail and corridor improvements, saying the CAB recommendation reflects strong community alignment while enhancing the appeal of the city.

“On behalf of the business community, I want to show our appreciation of the collaborative approach reflected in this recommendation and the careful consideration given to how these funds are allocated,” she said.

National, Bennett node
Council also considered another CAB recommendation, a $75,000 allocation from Spring Forward SGF funds to pay for an urban design framework for an area near the art museum.

The first reading of the bill, with a vote set for March 9, proposed a $75,000 expenditure to fund planning by Kansas City-based architectural firm BNIM, the company that crafted the art museum’s master plan.

The area of focus is the Fassnight Greenway from the art museum to Glenstone Avenue along and including Bennett Street, as Tim Rosenbury, the city’s director of quality of place initiatives, explained, adding that the Public Works department is already planning for improvements there. The project area is being called the National Avenue and Bennett Street node.

“I’m expecting the lessons from the Grant Avenue Parkway project can be applied to this important complete neighborhood street design,” he said.

Rosenbury said with city projects converging on city property at the junction of the University Heights and Phelps Grove neighborhoods, the CAB encouraged staff to engage in detailed planning to ensure that the projects are complementary.

The goal is that the projects as a whole be greater than the sum of their parts – an essential characteristic of quality of place, Rosenbury said.

Councilmember Brandon Jenson raised the concern that half-cent tax funds were not being distributed evenly throughout the city.

“There’s been a lot of Spring Forward sales tax money spent in this area, and I think so far it has all been well spent, but it’s also worth noting that this is one of the wealthiest portions of our community, and so I just want to make sure we’re emphasizing that we’re being mindful in distributing these funds,” Jenson said.

Jenson suggested alternative funds be sought for projects in the area.

Annexations and zoning
Council gave the nod to a set of land-use ordinances.

A 13-acre tract at 3199 and 3225 W. Sunshine St. was annexed into the city at the request of 3225 W. Sunshine LLC. The owner wishes to subdivide the property for commercial development.

Rezonings included the following:

• Parcels totaling 726 acres in the area of the Springfield-Branson National Airport to heavy manufacturing from a county agricultural designation at the request of the city of Springfield Airport Board. The land is referred to as buffer property and contains numerous sinkholes, according to the staff report. Airport officials say they have no plans to sell the property, and such a transaction would have to be approved by the Federal Aviation Administration.

• Some 18 acres at 2000 S. McCurry Ave. to medium-density multifamily residential with a conditional overlay from planned development at the request of Springfield Plaza LLC. The owners intend to build multifamily apartments on the undeveloped land.

• Approximately 0.6 acres in the 1100 block of East Elm Street and the 500 block of South Florence Avenue to university combining district with conditional overlay from high-density multifamily district and university combining district for applicant One Hundred Two Glenstone Inc. The applicant intends to redevelop the property for off-street parking and to renovate adjacent properties for higher density, according to the staff report.

• Less than half an acre at 3005 W. Chestnut Expressway to industrial commercial from general manufacturing for ABC Supply Co. Inc. The applicant intends to operate retail sales on the property.

Other action items

• Council amended city code to modify the value of gifts and donations that may be received by the city manager and department directors without legislative action, with a maximum of $20,000, up from $4,000. Council also modified the ability of the city manager and department directors to enter into contracts without additional approval. Contracts of up to $5,000 can be entered into without competition; those up to $25,000 may be informally solicited by departments; and those of up to $100,000 may be informally solicited by the city’s Division of Purchases. Contracts greater than $100,000 must be formally solicited. The city manager previously was authorized to enter into contracts of $20,000 without city council approval, and other officials’ no-approval limits varied.

• A road located south of Commercial Street was renamed Blaine Lane from Blaine Street at a request that originally came from the Commercial Club of Springfield.

• A city purchase of property at 624 N. Franklin Ave. was approved for use as buffer land adjacent to city property. The cost is $75,000, according to the staff report.

• A first reading was held on a bill to appropriate just over $1 million in carryover funds from fiscal 2025, with a vote set for March 9. The appropriations are as follows: $230,000 for anticipated April 2026 election expenses for a proposed tourism tax; $256,000 for the Trust Edge employee training program, as requested by the city manager; $90,000 to transfer to park funds from the general fund; and $507,000 as a set-aside for a proposed municipal court building.

• Mayor Jeff Schrag requested that city staff prepare a report on the city’s use of Flock brand license plate recognition cameras after hearing concerns from three city residents during the public comment period.