From the Ground Up: Clifton M. Smart III University Advancement Center

Owner: Missouri State University
Construction manager at risk: J.E. Dunn Construction Co.
Architect: Dake Wells Architecture Inc.
Landscape architect: Ecological Design Group LLC (Rogers, Arkansas)
Engineers: Crawford, Murphy & Tilly Inc., civil; RTM Engineering Consultants LLC, structural; True Engineering Group LLC, mechanical, electrical and plumbing; and Terracon Consultants Inc., geotechnical
Size: 28,000 square feet
Cost: $26.2 million
Funding sources: Missouri State Foundation, private donors
Estimated completion: September 2026
Project description: The Clifton M. Smart III University Advancement Center being built on the east edge of the Missouri State University campus on the corner of National Avenue and Bear Boulevard will replace the Kenneth E. Meyer Alumni Center, which operated in downtown Springfield until it was sold to the Community Foundation of the Ozarks in February 2024. The design includes a 3,600-square-foot event hall, an exterior event lawn and a more intimate meeting space christened the living room. There will also be office space for several campus programs, some conference spaces and an executive boardroom, construction officials say.