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Jefferson City

Jefferson City

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PostNov 09, 2007#1

I'd say Jefferson City could really use something like this...


30,000 feet of space, hotel, shops and parking for $100 million



By Kris Hilgedick

khil@newstribune.com











The Jefferson City Conference Center Selection Committee has narrowed its search to one main finalist: the Dallas-based company, Garfield Traub Development.



Thursday's announcement came with early architectural renderings for the West McCarty Street site and tentative explanations of possible financing.



And it came with an unexpected price tag: To construct the building portrayed possibly could cost $100 million, conceded Third Ward Councilman Brian Crane and Mayor John Landwehr.



Landwehr said the process is still far too premature to say what the building will look like or how it will be financed.



“We're still at the 30,000-foot level in the process,” he said. “We haven't scheduled the ribbon-cutting yet.”



But he noted state Health Lab employees have moved to their new facility and city officials are working with the state Office of Administration to develop a new plan for the old lab.



The project has grown from the simple conference center and parking garage first envisioned. Retail stores, a 300-room hotel and office space have been added to the plan. Some 900 parking spaces are being considered.



In the design, cars would be able to pass under the building, similar to Bartle Hall in Kansas City.



Both were quick to say final costs could be less than $100 million.



“There are going to be some very difficult ideas to grasp as we look at the financing,” said Crane. “We're going to try and keep an open mind.”



Continue reading >>>
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PostNov 09, 2007#2

They do desperately need this. A brew pub and a used book store on High Street could be really nice too (about 50% vacant last time I was there.)



Jeff is really a cute city with a lot of potential--with some infrastructure improvements, landscaping and beautification, the city would turn the corner quickly.
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PostNov 09, 2007#3

^ The last time I was in Jefferson City, High Street was looking a little better, even though there are still several vacancies.



There is a bookstore downtown, and it's actually pretty decent for a town its size, especially since there's now a Barnes & Noble on Missouri Boulevard not far from Capital Mall. The DT store (sorry, I can't remember the name) also has a good selection of children's toys, including Thomas the Tank Engine and Jay-Jay the Jet Plane, so my son was in heaven when we went there.



Just south of downtown, you'll find Central Dairy. Of course, the milk is good, but the main attraction is the ice cream. More flavors than Baskin-Robbins, and it's a cool old-school setting that hasn't changed much since it opened in 1948. I highly recommend that place.



Jefferson City is a cute little city that could use a shot in the arm that a hotel and convention center like the one proposed would provide. I think it would actually complement the nearby hotels, including the Capital Plaza, as there would be a spillover effect when conventions are booked. I think the locals are counting on that as well. Hopefully this thing moves forward!
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PostNov 09, 2007#4

No doubt, Jeff City needs something like this. Not knowing the town well enough, I cannot figure out where this hotel is too be located???



But, you brought back some a fond memory! Central Dairy is a sweet place! Glad it is still around. As a child, we used to stop there for ice cream when visiting relatives and/or on the way to the Lake. If anyone is in Jefferson City, don't miss it.



Jeff is a pretty town. Just needs some activity downtown. Or it used to, I don't know what it is like now.
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PostNov 09, 2007#5

There's a pretty good little Greek and Italian place right across from the capitol. Last time I stopped in Jeff City on my way back from the Lake it was about the only thing open on a Sunday evening.

Jeff's a nice place but it does need some more activity. I've always wondered if the U of Missouri were located there instead of Columbia what Jeff City's population would be. My guess is it would be more like Madison, WI (pop. 200,000).
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PostNov 09, 2007#6

southsidepride wrote:There's a pretty good little Greek and Italian place right across from the capitol. Last time I stopped in Jeff City on my way back from the Lake it was about the only thing open on a Sunday evening.


Arri's, maybe? That place is good. There's another location somewhere else in town, and there's one in Springfield not far from Battlefield Mall. Interestingly, Jefferson City has several restaurants with Greek cuisine on the menu, which works for me since I love Greek food. 8)



Like others here, I wonder what Jefferson City would be like if it was also home to Missouri's leading university. That said, I think we'll see the two metro areas grow together in the coming decades, as Columbia's growth in particular is impressive. I don't know of recent Census estimates, but IIRC, Jefferson City and Cape Girardeau are about the same size. Both cities have roughly 40,000 people, and Cole and Cape Girardeau counties have approximately 75,000 residents.
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PostNov 23, 2007#7

My grandparents lived just a few blocks from downtown, and I have many fond memories of window shopping on High Street, visiting the Capital, the Riverfront, etc.



Revisiting my old haunts a couple of years ago made me realize just how hilly the city is. It's really picturesque. And everything is quite close together. This really could be a great place. Considering it's the state capital, you would think that it would be a bit more prosperous than it is.
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PostJul 30, 2021#8

Maybe just rename this thread to Jefferson City?

Saw this in the paper today.  Really neat little riverfront park being built with a bridge over the railroad tracks.
https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/sta ... op-story-1


https://www.bicentennialbridge.org




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PostJul 31, 2021#9

Looks great!  
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PostNov 15, 2021#10

Couple more Jeff City updates from the PD today:

With federal stimulus dollars flowing, Missouri puts new state lab under microscope
https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/gov ... the-latest
Missouri officials are considering building a new state health laboratory as part of the long-sought redevelopment of the now-shuttered state prison complex in the capital city.
.......
“This transformative investment in Missouri state agency laboratory infrastructure…  would create a unique campus of laboratory science functioning together in state-of-the-art facilities linked together to deliver quality, comprehensive and rapid laboratory services for current and future health/environmental threats to Missourians,” Cox said in a statement.  The proposed project ranks fifth among a list of building upgrades and capital improvements discussed in an October meeting of Gov. Mike Parson’s cabinet. The talks revolve around how the state might use billions of dollars in federal stimulus funds that are flowing to the state.

Other projects on the wish list include a new Missouri State Highway Patrol crime lab, a new arena at the state fairgrounds in Sedalia and a new nursing home for veterans in Mexico.
Currently, the state public health lab is located adjacent to the old Missouri State Penitentiary, which has been eyed for redevelopment since it was closed in 2004.  Jefferson City officials want to use the 30-acre prison property as the centerpiece of a near-downtown development, with a new hotel, an ice skating arena, retail, housing and, possibly, a new Amtrak stop.
.......
In June 2020, the city council selected a developer for the redevelopment project, which calls for a groundbreaking in July 2022.
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PostJan 20, 2022#11

https://www.bicentennialbridge.org





To follow up on this - I went at Christmas (as did like 80% of the Jeff City populace; lots of people were there checking it out). They have the sidewalks down but no greenery yet. It's actually kind of fantastic. Great views of the river, the bridge, the capital, trains, and you can walk down to be across from Lohman's Landing (the Jeff City Amtrak stop). It's fun to see historical Jeff City from the angle that people would have traditionally approached it (via water). 

Also - it's just an amazing car free space. We took my two year old and his little balance bike and set him loose and he got to roam as free as he wanted while we enjoyed a very nice walk. I can totally see this being a destination for all those 4th grade field trips (All 4th graders in the state do a field trip to the state capital. I think.). What a lovely place for all those kids to get to run around and eat lunch and their teachers won't have to worry about them getting smushed by a car.

I am a bit curious about the longevity of the sidewalks/retaining walls and any plantings that the city does put in, as this is definitely a location that will flood frequently. But....it's awesome! 5 stars, even though it was 80% a giant mud patch when we went. That's how great it was. My toddler was like - "can we go back? I want to go here all the time." I think he liked it even more than the truly incredible playground that is over by the Lincoln tennis courts. 
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PostJan 20, 2022#12

Now the railfans just need UP's Big Boy to return to Jeff City for signature shot from the new pedestrian bridge.  However, not sure if you could get state capital in shot or not.  I think Big Boy is doing west coast tour this year so might have to wait for 2023/2024
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PostMay 11, 2022#13

https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/09/us/lincoln-college-shutting-down-ransomware-attack/index.html

Lincoln.jpg (90.42KiB)

I'm kind of shocked Lincoln University doesn't have it's own tread so I'll put this here.  Lincoln University is shutting down for good.  I know a lot of people that went there.  While not a HBCU, it still is classified as a predominantly black institution and it's a shame there isn't more awareness to try and save it.  CB
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PostMay 11, 2022#14

Although sad, this is about Lincoln College in Lincoln Illinois, not Lincoln University in Jeff City which most certainly is an HBCU.

Lincoln and MacMurray both gone. Hopefully we won’t lose any more
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PostMay 11, 2022#15

There are a few others in spread across rural IL that I'm worried might see similar fates - Blackburn College, Eureka College, Monmouth College, etc. all had enrollments under 1,000 students prior to the pandemic. 
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PostMay 11, 2022#16

There's a fair few Missouri schools under a thousand as well. Stephens was 700 when I left CoMO. They're apparently under six now. Westminster in Fulton is about the same. I did work at both places and both seemed to be in some trouble six or eight years ago. Stephens was selling assets left, right, and center. (And has been for twenty years or more.) They have some non-educational revenue that could get them through, but I worry about them. Westminster didn't feel much better. Lots of deferred maintenance and forty year old equipment. While it's well north of a thousand Missouri Valley in Marshall had a lot of deferred maintenance as well. I taught there for a while, and our whole building smelled of mildew. Music and dance were shoehorned into a gym. (That was still a student rec center after hours.) To be fair, we were not what MoVal would likely have considered central to their mission, but it's always arts funding that gets cut first, so think of us as the canary in the coal mine. All three of these schools have made some important contributions to Missouri and their loss would be felt.
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PostMay 12, 2022#17

JaneJacobsGhost wrote: ↑
May 11, 2022
Although sad, this is about Lincoln College in Lincoln Illinois, not Lincoln University in Jeff City which most certainly is an HBCU.

Lincoln and MacMurray both gone. Hopefully we won’t lose any more
My heart actually skipped a beat. Don't scare me like that.
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PostMay 12, 2022#18

Reading this, I suddenly became curious and wanted to know what the attendance figures were for Harris-Stowe State University. 

The school has roughly 1,600 students. 

Are these enrollment figures growing, shrinking, or about where they've always been? I'd love to see St. Louis do everything it can to protect this school's vitality for generations to come. 

I know Harris-Stowe will be adding the Black Radio Hall of Fame and some other features to campus, so I don't think they're endangered. I just want to see it thrive. 
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PostMay 12, 2022#19

aprice wrote:
JaneJacobsGhost wrote: ↑
May 11, 2022
Although sad, this is about Lincoln College in Lincoln Illinois, not Lincoln University in Jeff City which most certainly is an HBCU.

Lincoln and MacMurray both gone. Hopefully we won’t lose any more
My heart actually skipped a beat. Don't scare me like that.
My bad. I read that article three times and didn’t catch that. I wasn’t aware of any other Lincoln college/university so my focus was narrow.


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PostFeb 07, 2024#20

In Missouri’s capital city, more than $1 billion in construction on tap by state government

Missouri’s capital city is poised to undergo a state government building boom as Republican Gov. Mike Parson enters his last year in office.
In an announcement Tuesday, Missouri Department of Natural Resources Director Dru Buntin told a panel of lawmakers that the agency is buying an abandoned shoe factory near its headquarters east of the Capitol building to house up to 400 workers now working in leased facilities.
The building, located near the now-shuttered Missouri State Penitentiary, will cost taxpayers $1.5 million, but needs an estimated $25 million in renovation work, Buntin said.

Reaction to the plan was mixed. While some members of the House Budget Committee praised the rehabilitation of a historic building, Rep. Scott Cupps, R-Shell Knob, questioned the price tag compared to building a new facility. Buntin said the move will bring an end to more than $822,000 in annual lease payments, as well as utility costs at each of the leased office facilities.

DNR also is in charge of state historic sites and building preservation programs, making the conversion an example of what can be done to reuse old buildings.

“This will be much more cost-effective,” Buntin said. A public hearing on the purchase is set for March 14 in Jefferson City. News of the DNR-shoe factory plan comes as Parson is tapping into a budget surplus to upgrade a number of state government operations in the city. All told, the proposed work amounts to an infusion of more than $1 billion of bricks and mortar spending within the capital city.

Nearby the empty shoe factory, officials announced last year the construction of a $182 million laboratory called the “One Health Campus.” The 260,000-square-foot complex will serve a number of state agencies.
Another $26 million has been earmarked for a new state warehouse for storing unused furniture, equipment and more.

The governor also is recommending $52 million to redevelop the former Missouri State Penitentiary as a “tourist destination.” Work would include the relocation of the gas chamber used to put prisoners to death.
https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/government-politics/in-missouri-s-capital-city-more-than-1-billion-in-construction-on-tap-by-state/article_37d83664-c5db-11ee-9eb0-77a88f4c17c2.html#tracking-source=home-top-story
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PostFeb 09, 2024#21

The governor also is recommending $52 million to redevelop the former Missouri State Penitentiary as a “tourist destination.”
So, we're just pissing money into the breeze now then?
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PostFeb 09, 2024#22

bwcrow1s wrote: ↑
Feb 09, 2024
The governor also is recommending $52 million to redevelop the former Missouri State Penitentiary as a “tourist destination.”
So, we're just pissing money into the breeze now then?
We've been doing that for a while now
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PostFeb 10, 2024#23

I would wish that they'd fund the Rock Island trail instead, if I had to choose between the 50+ tourism related priorities. Parson supported it, but legislators removed it from the budget two years in a row along with a slew of other items.
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PostFeb 12, 2024#24

As far as I'm concerned every dime MODoT spends is pissing away money. It's all more lanes, more concrete, more traffic signals. Never transit. Never pedestrian infrastructure. Never bikes. Never rideshares even. Rarely even good intersections. Complete idiocy.
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PostFeb 12, 2024#25

I guess another thing to do on the classic middle school field trip to Jeff CIty
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