From the Ground Up: Wilson Logistics Arena

Owner: Ozark Empire Fair Foundation
General contractor: Killian Construction Co.
Architect: BRP Architects
Engineers: Heithaus Engineering & Associates Inc., civil; Bergmann Engineering Co. LLC, structural; Interpres Building Solutions LLC, mechanical, electrical and plumbing
Size: 164,000 square feet
Cost: $25 million
Funding source: State of Missouri Office of Administration grant and foundation fundraising campaign
Estimated completion: Summer 2024
Project description: The multipurpose arena rising at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds & Event Center is planned to include 6,600 seats, according to senior project manager Jeremy Hoffman from Killian Construction. The new facility replaces a 2,800-seat livestock arena built in the 1960s, and it promises to be more versatile than a livestock show ring, hosting regional and national events as varied as BMX, motocross, rodeos, roller derby, archery tournaments and indoor festivals, according to project officials with BRP Architects. The Springfield arena football team, part of the newly established four-team Arena League, is set to play on the premises; the team name has not yet been announced. BRP Architects officials note the building’s 24,300-square-foot lower level will be home to the Youth Ag Education Center, an initiative of the fair foundation to foster agricultural education opportunities for students. The building will have retractable lower-level seating to allow for a larger event space and a 45,000-square-foot mezzanine featuring a restaurant and VIP room.