MSU board approves $3M contractor bid for Darr innovation hub

The Missouri State University Board of Governors' executive committee this week gave the green light to a $3.1 million contractor bid for a new innovation hub for the William H. Darr College of Agriculture.

Crossland Construction Co. Inc. got the nod for the project, MSU President Clif Smart said via email. The innovation hub has a $4.1 million total funding source, according to the board's Nov. 15 agenda.

The innovation hub project calls for a new 8,500-square-foot building at the Darr Agricultural Center along South Kansas Expressway. It would include a 3,800-square-foot high-bay shop space with overhead doors, welding stations and a woodworking area. The project is slated for completion by the end of the fall 2024 semester.

MSU announced in a news release in late 2022 that the Darr College of Agriculture secured $2 million from the state for the innovation hub that would boost educational and research opportunities via agricultural technology. The board agenda additionally notes funding from private donations, a presidential program enhancement fund, one-time funding from the provost's budget and one-time funding from the College of Agriculture.

Other companies that submitted construction bids were:
• Branco Enterprises Inc., $3.12 million.
• Snyder Construction Group, $3.29 million.
• Rich Kramer Construction Inc., $3.3 million.
• Nesbitt Construction Inc., $3.4 million.
• RIHC Contracting Inc., $3.7 million.

The board's executive committee approves time-sensitive items before the next regularly scheduled meeting, according to MSU's website.