Sports facility to bring year-round employment to Branson, mayor says

Branson’s State of the City address by Mayor Larry Milton highlighted 2025 milestones ranging from improved online systems for the city to a revitalized downtown to plans for a year-round sports facility.

“All of this success is exactly what can happen when a community comes together with a shared vision, in partnership with a local government,” he said at last night's address. “When they come together in partnership, that can produce real results.”

Milton, who sustained a spinal cord injury in July 2025 and has been mostly dependent upon a wheelchair since, stood before his remarks to lead the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. The crowd quickly rose with him with a sustained round of applause.

“I was going to say, ‘Please join me in standing,’” he said. “Thank you very much for that.”

The city completed a downtown streetscape project in 2025 – a $5 million investment completed under budget and a month ahead of schedule, Milton said. A new police facility was also delivered on time and under budget, he added.

The city also conducted what it called a red tape review initiative in 2025, Milton said.

“Our goal code was simple: Make it easier to work with the city of Branson,” he said. “After getting feedback from our community and reviewing sections of our city code, it updated them to better reflect the needs of our growing community.”

The project included improvements to building permit fee calculations, land disturbance regulations and procedures for addressing dangerous buildings, resulting in processes that were cleaner, more efficient and easier to navigate, he said.

At the same time, the city’s planning department completed a major system refresh of Citizenserve, the city’s permitting platform.

“This update modernized the system, removed outdated processes and streamlined the online permitting experience to make it more user-friendly for residents, contractors and businesses,” he said.

This month, the new city business licensing model went online, removing a previous all-manual and paper process to replace it with a fully online experience, he said.

Additionally, the city offers an open finance dashboard that is fully updated weekly for residents to review.

“Together, these mean less red tape, more transparency and a city of Branson government that works faster and smarter for the people we serve,” he said. “As we continue moving at the speed of business, we’re focused on staying responsive, removing obstacles and delivering results.”

Milestone year
Milton said 2025 was a milestone year for Branson, with more than $68 million invested in development in the city, according to building permit valuations. The Planning & Development department conducted more than 6,000 inspections in the year.

“That level of private investment sends a clear signal: Confidence in this city is strong, and the momentum we’re building is real,” he said. “Branson is open for business.”

The city also had a big year for its live shows and entertainment.

In 2025, the theater tourism tax increased by 22%, and amusement tourism tax collections rose by 9%, Milton said. The tourism tax fund surpassed $20 million for the first time in the city’s history, he added.

“These are not just small shifts,” he said. “They represent visitors choosing Branson’s theaters as an important part of their vacations and celebrations and their memories.”

Additionally, he said, city revenues increased by 9% over 2024.

“These numbers represent more than dollars,” he said. “They represent momentum, they represent opportunity, they represent prosperity, and they represent the confidence that residents, visitors and investors all have in the future of our city.”

Milton also unveiled a new flag for the city. With a white background, it features the name Branson in a stylized blue script over a red shooting-star detail that encircles an all-caps “Missouri.”

The initiative was led by Alderman Marshall Howden, he said.

“As it flies across our city in the months and many years ahead, may it serve as a reminder of our deep love for our community, the freedoms we cherish and the responsibility we share to carry those values forward for generations to come,” Milton said.

Indoor sports facility
Milton said that last summer, the city approved a $400 million tax increment finance project that will include the development of a municipal indoor sports facility.

“This initiative reflects the growing opportunity we have to expand tourism and combat their traditional workforce issues of seasonal employment, unsustainable year-round income and added strain on overall community stability,” he said.

Milton said the city has talked about the need for year-round employment for decades.

“This indoor sports facility will get us to that year-round employment that we’ve all just talked about,” he said. “A facility like this would ignite potential for year-round stable economy for Branson, capable of hosting regional and national tournaments, especially during key winter months.”

Milton said the project is not just about building a facility but about strengthening and smoothing Branson’s economy and expanding the tourism season and the types of visitors who will come to the city.

The board of aldermen has approved additional studies by the Kansas City office of Baker Tilly Municipal Advisors LLC in the amount of $135,000, he said.

“When the board approved this, they showed their wisdom. It is wise to spend $135,000 and take a little bit more time to really nail down the numbers before we’re going to commit a $50 [million] or $75 million development in Branson.”

Milton said that information needs to be available before the board sits with the community to get its input.

“If the project in 2025 showed us anything, it’s that pursuing big ideas and reaching for new heights is exactly what our community deserves from its leaders.”

Other projects
Milton said 2026 would focus on trails through developing a new mountain bike park and trail connectivity to give residents and visitors a new view of the Ozarks.

Last year, he said, the city expanded its campground.

“This is generating more revenues to reinvest into our cherished city parks,” he said.

Also last year, the city worked on upgrades across parks through a community asset replacement program, and roadway paving projects were conducted across the city – and will continue, he said.

The city is also engaged in a $70 million initiative to renew its central infrastructure, beginning in the Hiawatha Heights neighborhood.

“After we finish in Hiawatha Heights, we’re going to continue marching down the road to the next neighborhood and the next neighborhood and the next neighborhood,” he said. “We’re also investing in the design work of the next neighborhood as we’re completing the work in Hiawatha Heights so that we can just continue seamlessly working on the neighborhoods.”

Milton said that his plan is to engage bond counsel and release bid documents for the Branson 76 Improvement Project. He promised that these initial steps to improve the city’s strip would be completed within the next 30 days.

“If we continue to serve with purpose and stand together as one community, I truly believe there is no limit to what Branson can achieve,” he said.

Audience reaction
Alderman Clay Cooper, a Branson entertainer and theater owner who assisted with city leadership duties during Milton’s recovery, said Milton’s speech highlighted the accomplishments the city has realized in the last few years.

“The sports facility is very exciting, the downtown renovation is beautiful, and the tourism numbers are up,” Cooper said. “It’s looking good in Branson, and I’m just proud to be a little part of it.”

Becky Jewsbury said she is also excited about the sports facility. As regional director for WestGate Branson Lakes Resort and a board member for the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and the Branson Lodging Association, she said she promotes the city at trade shows around the country, and people are excited about sports.

“I can’t tell you how many appointments I’ve sat at where they’ve said, ‘Have you built anything yet? Do you have anything yet? We’re ready to come; do you have a facility for us to play in?’” she said. “I think that the paint won’t even be dry on the walls, and we’ll have tournaments lined up.”

Greg Baker, executive vice president and chief lending officer of Branson Bank, also expressed enthusiasm for the sports facility and the chance to promote year-round employment in the city, and he is also appreciative of the fact that the city is soliciting a study to ensure it pursues sports tourism effectively.

But Baker also keyed in on Milton’s declaration that 2026 would be “the year of the trail,” with effort put toward expanding multimodal transportation in the city.

“I’m really excited about that,” he said.