Missouri Job Center’s resource area prepares to reopen

A section of the Missouri Job Center in Springfield closed to the public since a heavy rain caused water damage to the building in early March is getting ready to reopen.

Katherine Proctor, spokesperson for the center, provided an update during the June 30 meeting of the Ozark Region Workforce Development Board.

She said renovations and repairs to the resource area on the first floor, where people seek help to find jobs, are nearly complete.

“The entryway and public restrooms have been completed, and that allowed us to reopen the Springfield Job Center to the public here,” she said. “The next phase is to start moving the furniture and the electrical wiring and the equipment back into the renovated Resource Floor Area, and that is set to begin the week of July 6.”

The space was reconfigured for better flow as part of the repairs from the water damage nearly four months ago.

“Once that is all set up, we can start serving customers out of that space again, which will be very exciting,” she said.

The center at 1660 N. Campbell Ave. reopened to the public June 8. For the past month, visitors were asked to use a temporary entrance along Boonville Avenue.

The water damage was the result of heavy rainfall during planned roof repairs, which were being done in phases to limit disruption.

Proctor estimated 40 city and state employees work out of the building.

She said a new HVAC unit will be installed in July, which may leave the building without access to air conditioning for up to seven days.

Proctor said some staff may work remotely during that period while others temporarily relocate to the Midtown Carnegie Branch Library, where in-person services will be available.

“The roofers have now begun to replace the roof on the upper level of the building,” she said.