urbanSTL

The plan for the 1,000-acre property owned by City Utilities of Springfield begins with the lake, formed in 1955 by the damming of the James River to create a cooling water source for the James River Power Plant.
Prange said about half a million cubic yards of silt has built up in the lake over nearly 70 years.
“It’s really resulted in some of those shallow areas that we hear about a lot from our community who’s out there using it – kayakers and boaters who kind of get stuck,” he said.
He said a member of his scientific team estimated the lake will be fully filled in and converted to a wetland within 20-50 years.
The plan recommends dredging portions of the lake to form a series of so-called “eco islands.” These new islands would be joined by elevated boardwalks built on piers that would be part of a 3-mile trail system. As people use the elevated trails, kayakers and canoers could glide right under, he said.
“People can kind of get out into the water and enjoy the water environment without getting into the water,” he said. “They can experience it from the trail network and the elevated boardwalk.”
The plan would also expand the boathouse at Lake Springfield Park, currently operated by the Springfield-Greene County Park Board.
“We think it needs to be two to three times bigger than what it is,” Prange said. “We understand the budgetary constraints that the Greene County Park Board is under, so this could be a private entity that comes in here and helps to manage activities in this area.”
New pavilions, playgrounds and retreat areas could also be added to the park area, he said.
Concepts for power plant
The plan is divided on what to do with the area that includes the James River Power Plant, where a substation will remain in service. There are two options: an entertainment district and an adventure hub.
The entertainment district could include an eco retreat with a sizable conference center, he said. RV camping and glamping could be included, along with retail, restaurants, riverfront recreation, an event lawn and a pavilion at the power plant site. It could also include a bike park.
The adventure hub concept capitalizes on the waterfront experience with a conference center, hospitality and restaurant amenities, Prange said.
“It’s going to be a massive development that will attract many different organizations and conferences to our area on a scale and size that we do not come close to offering,” he said.
A canopy ropes course, zipline, bike park, camping, archery and outdoor music scene are part of the adventure hub concept.
Prange said the plan provides ways for people to connect with the water.
“We do have a unique opportunity with the James to create one of the world’s largest water trails,” he said, suggesting such a trail could connect Lake Springfield with Lake Taneycomo. “It could be a huge national draw to experience something like that.”
Prange said the entire plan with the first option, the entertainment district, would cost about $1.2 billion, and the second option of the adventure hub would cost $1 billion. The financial burden would not be on taxpayers, he said, but covered by private developers. Eventually, special taxing districts or similar instruments could be employed to pay for infrastructure improvements, he said.
He added that even Lake Springfield Park could be sold to a private entity.
“When we started this planning process, we challenged all of our partners to think big and outside the box,” he said. “Everything is on the table.”
City of Springfield Director of Public Information and Civic Engagement Cora Scott said a portion of the land would likely remain a park.
“Realistically, you know, the feedback that we’re hearing is that people do want it as a public amenity, so there will most likely remain a certain area that is still very publicly funded,” she said. “There are just so many unknowns.”