MSU Foundation buys The Old Glass Place

The Missouri State University Foundation is taking over an event venue that opened nine years ago in downtown Springfield.

The MSU Foundation Board of Trustees recently gave the green light for the purchase of The Old Glass Place, 521 St. Louis St., according to a news release.

Brent Dunn, executive director of the MSU Foundation, this morning told Springfield Business Journal the foundation purchased The Old Glass Place for $1.75 million. Al Miller and Roger Malarkey, the venue's former owners, donated furniture, fixtures and equipment, such as its audio/visual setup, to the foundation as part of the deal, Dunn said.

“We are excited about our new adventure and ownership,” Dunn said in the release. “The Old Glass Place will also be a beautiful meeting space option for our university faculty, staff and student groups."

The venue will be managed by 425 Downtown LLC and continue to be available to the public for banquets, parties, weddings, meetings and other events. 425 Downtown is an events and catering company that operates a venue at 425 W. Walnut St. The company, which launched in 2010, is owned by Matt Krupa of Pasta Express.

Dunn told SBJ that the MSU Foundation would get a percentage of proceeds from events booked by 425 Downtown.

“It is another revenue source for the foundation,” Dunn said.

The Old Glass Place spans 12,000 square feet and has a maximum capacity of 551 people, said MSU spokesperson Nicki Donnelson. The event venue opened in February 2014, according to Springfield Business Journal archives.

The MSU Foundation also owns and operates the school’s Kenneth E. Meyer Alumni Center in downtown Springfield, according to the release.

A foundation ribbon-cutting ceremony at The Old Glass Place is scheduled for 3 p.m. Feb. 23.