MU completes expansion in Mount Vernon

The University of Missouri has expanded its footprint in the southwest Missouri city of Mount Vernon.

MU is scheduled to host a groundbreaking ceremony Oct. 18 for a multimillion-dollar meeting space addition to its Southwest Research Center, according to a news release.

“Our current facility has been here since the 1960s,” said David Cope, the center’s superintendent, in the release. “The existing room we have for meetings is smaller and outdated, as far as being able to utilize newer technology.

“This will be a game changer for us as we welcome more and more individuals and groups to the center.”

Springfield Business Journal last year reported the project cost was roughly $1.7 million. Neosho-based Marion Co. LLC submitted the low bid for the job, breaking ground in September 2018. Cope could not be reached for comment by deadline on the final construction cost..

On 893 acres, the Mount Vernon center serves as MU’s main footprint in southwest Missouri to conduct agricultural researching and testing, including beef, forage and horticultural crop production. The center is a meeting place for farmers, producers, MU Extension regional specialists and students, SBJ previously reported, and it hosts annual career days and FFA practice contests.

The Southwest Research Center project is part of a recently announced $6.5 million investment by MU into agricultural research, according to the release.