Partnerships support Hollister's rapid expansion

Hollister, with a population of nearly 4,000, has been growing for several years.

The growth is a result of many factors, according to City Administrator Rick Ziegenfuss, including improvements to the city’s major roads.

“I think there are a couple of key factors. One is that we’re under construction on improving Highway 65,” he said.

“That’s helping us to create a very business-friendly environment. When business arrives in a community, it helps the economy and provides jobs,” Ziegenfuss added.

The growth of the town has been ongoing for the last four to five years; Ziegenfuss cited the addition of stores such as Lowe’s and Country Mart, conventional retail businesses that the economy depends on.

“The city of Hollister is dependent on residential support,” Ziegenfuss said. “In the Tri-Lakes region we have several communities that hinge on tourism. We are not like that. Hollister is a conventional economy that’s oriented on support of residents.”

Several subdivisions are under construction in Hollister. Ziegenfuss estimates 1,000 new homes will be built in the next 24 to 36 months.

New businesses coming to town include Big O Tires, O’Reilly Auto Parts, First Community Bank and, as Ziegenfuss said, the most visible indicator of a town’s growth: McDonald’s.

Such growth can cause problems for any small town, and Hollister is no exception.

“There are growing pains when any city is undergoing hyper growth,” Ziegenfuss said. “The growth usually wants to happen first, and the revenue comes second. That’s always a challenge to balance those things.”

He added that the city – a member of the Ozarks Regional Economic Partnership administered by the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce – is meeting those challenges through partnerships with county and state government. These partnerships help support the town while revenue catches up with expenditures for growth.

Public education

Hollister’s public schools also are dealing with the community’s growth.

Voters in the Hollister school district recently passed a bond issue to build a new $9 million, 100,000-square-foot high school.

“The high school we’re in right now was first occupied in 1985, and it was built for 250 students. As of this year, our highest number in the high school was 350,” said Brett Reese, superintendent of Hollister schools. “That creates issues and challenges. When we went to our voters and told them, ‘Here’s what we are facing, and here’s why we’re asking you to support this building project,’ the community was very supportive.”

Reese said the district has experienced steady growth over the last few years – an increase of 20 to 30 students per year – resulting in the district’s current 1,175-student population.

“We haven’t had a problem dealing with (the increased number of students),” he said. “Because of the pretty steady growth we’ve had, it has allowed us to properly plan for that growth.”

The new high school, 2112 State Hwy. BB, will have an initial capacity of 500, but can be expanded later to accommodate as many as 750 students. It is slated for completion in August.

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