Indoor groundbreaking sets course for first phase of Springfield Art Museum expansion project

A groundbreaking ceremony took an artsy turn Friday at the Springfield Art Museum.

The indoor event featured three people – museum Director Nick Nelson, Mayor Ken McClure and state Sen. Lincoln Hough, R-Springfield – pushing an oversized lever on a box marked “TNT” to generate a mock explosion. At the signal, a backdrop featuring a photo of the museum printed on cardboard boxes by SMC Packaging Group tumbled in an organized fashion to the floor.

“As an art museum, we knew that we couldn’t do the traditional groundbreaking – we had to do something much more creative,” Nelson said. “Thanks to our friends at SMC Packaging, we have the opportunity to start this project out with a bang.”

The 1111 E. Brookside Drive museum is beginning immediately on Phase 1 of its renovation and expansion project, which will include the conversion of the auditorium where the groundbreaking was held into gallery space with 20-foot ceilings that will allow the museum to expand its offerings.

Phase 1 also will include improvements to the grounds and the renaturalization of the adjacent Fassnight Creek. An expansion of parking is also in the works.

Nelson said a section of the oldest wing of the museum, the south side, built in 1957, will be demolished.

“It will be undergoing a significant transformation. Part of that building will actually come down and be replaced with the new building,” Nelson said in an interview, noting much of the work will be visible from the outside while the interior also undergoes a transformation.

Springfield City Council approved a construction manager at risk agreement with Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. of Kansas City at its Feb. 24 meeting. The guaranteed maximum price for the project was set at just over $27 million.

Nelson said one of the main factors in selecting a contractor is evidence of care and attention, and Whiting-Turner has proven expertise in museum projects.

“There is an aesthetic dimension to it. When we think of our audience coming in, the fine details matter to them,” he said. “Plus, there’s a lot of technical expertise that goes into the design and construction of an art museum, with things like climate control systems, security systems, that are beyond typical construction.”

The museum building is both a machine for preserving art and a place of aesthetic appreciation, Nelson said.

The current budget of the state of Missouri includes a $10 million allocation for the museum’s expansion project. Hough, who is chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, made remarks at the event.

“When I think about the art museum, I think about the exhibitions that bring the next generation into this museum and into this facility,” Hough said. “When this project was percolating and funding sources were trying to be found, I wanted the state to be a part of this, because I don’t think there’s any broader coalition of a community than an arts community.”

Hough said when it comes to attracting a workforce, lifestyle is an important factor.

“And this is part of it,” he said. “It gives people a chance to go out, get out of the hyperpartisan world that we live in too often, reflect on what really matters –  and I believe that changes you as a person.”

Hough added that there are 197 elected people in the Capitol building.

“There are a lot of people that work really hard to do the right thing and get things done for our communities, and this, I believe, is going to be a testament to that for the next generation,” he said.

The work package, consisting of those who submitted the lowest bids to Whiting-Turner, includes the following, according to the explanation to the council bill submitted by Nelson:

• General requirements, existing conditions and metals, Carson-Mitchell Inc., $3.4 million

• Concrete, KCI Construction Co., $1 million

• Masonry, Blevins Masonry LLC, $223,000

• Woods, plastics and composites, Parks Cabinets, $380,000

• Thermal and moisture protection, Missouri Builders Service Inc. (Jefferson City), $2.2 million

• Openings, IWR North America LLC (St. Louis), $1.1 million

• Finishes, CB-GC LLC, $1.7 million

• Specialties, DH Pace, $184,000

• Equipment, Brookline Doorworks, $38,000

• Furnishings, Benton Daylight Control Systems, $67,000

• Fire suppression, Western States Fire Protection, $454,000

• Plumbing, HVAC and integrated automation, Springfield Engineering Co., $7.8 million

• Electrical, communications and electronic safety and security, Multi-Craft Contractors Inc., $2.8 million

• Earthwork and site utilities, JD Wallace Contracting LLC, $823,000

• Exterior improvements, A-1 Walls and Landscaping, $655,000

The renovation project was launched in 2018 with a comprehensive site plan for buildings and grounds, according to the art museum’s website. The goal is to finish the project by the museum’s 100th anniversary in 2028, and Nelson said the project’s schedule is on track for that goal.

Phase 2 of the project will involve exterior work on the museum’s east and west sides and will take place after funding is obtained, according to museum officials, who say the entire project is estimated to cost just under $50 million.