Victory Mission breaks ground on $22M shelter redevelopment project

Victory Mission and Ministry broke ground this morning on a multimillion-dollar project that will replace its 70-year-old men's shelter near the intersection of Commercial and Division streets.

The 1610 N. Broadway Ave. ceremony drew some 100 attendees, including former Gov. Mike Parson; state Sen. Curtis Trent, R-Springfield; Missouri House of Representatives Majority Floor Leader Alex Riley, R-Springfield; state Rep. Melanie Stinnett, R-Springfield and Springfield City Councilmember Callie Carroll. The ceremony was mostly completed, but rain near the conclusion of the event interrupted the traditional turning of dirt.

The $22 million project is designed to expand shelter capacity by 30% and create a new facility with a 50-bed emergency shelter, 75-bed transitional shelter, long-term recovery program housing with 35 beds, a dining hall, training center and administrative offices, officials say. DeWitt & Associates Inc. is serving as general contractor for the project designed by Dake Wells Architecture Inc.

Parson's fiscal 2025 budget included $11 million for the Victory Mission project. 

At the ceremony, Parson called the approval of funding for the development one of the highlights of his tenure as governor.

"What meant more to me than anything when we approved the $11 million was the people that are inside this building that are getting those services," Parson said. "All of us have had our ups and downs in life. It is our obligation, it is our job, each and every one of us, is to help somebody else."

Carroll said the development would help the city work toward alleviating the "impact of generational poverty, addiction and homelessness."

"This is the kind of investment that turns broken stories into success stories. If we want a thriving Springfield, we must invest in both infrastructure and also in people," she said. "We can't arrest our way out of homelessness or poverty – we need places like Victory to walk with people as they rebuild."

Prior to today's ceremony, Victory Mission Executive Director Jason Hynson told Springfield Business Journal the redevelopment project would take around 20 months to complete.

Hynson said bank financing has been lined up, with nearly 13 months of funding solidified.

"We want to go into the building paid for. We're still raising money to do that," he said.

Victory Mission Director of Marketing Silas Garrison said the current men’s shelter at the site would remain operational throughout the construction project, after which it would be razed to make way for parking.

Council in 2021 rezoned acreage at the site owned by Victory Mission for the redevelopment project, according to past reporting.