http://ozarkspub.vo.llnwd.net/o37/KSMU/audio/mp3/officials-break-ground-new-dan-kinney-family-center_18277.mp3
Public officials broke ground Tuesday on the Dan Kinney Family Center in Springfield. KSMU’s Scott Butler reports.
A shovel digs right through the dirt at Dan Kinney Park as the Springfield-Greene County Park Board broke ground on the new facility. It's located just east of highway 65 at 2701 S. Blackman Road.
Jerry Clark, the chair of the park board, says she's ready to see this building become a reality.
“I think we are very, very pleased because we promised this project to the people when they voted in the 2006 election and we are very pleased today that we are able to actually break ground and start the process. It’s a promise completed,” she said.
Around 60 people were in attendance for the ceremony. Jodie Adams, director of Springfield-Greene County Parks, says this facility is part of a broader plan to expand the parks system.
“We followed the steps of planning and actually, the steps that are appropriate for the financing of the facility. For one thing, the center was actually identified as recreation facilities and actually then, further identified as an eastside center. It is the third center on the master plan that was voted on in 1998 and actually, this is the third one. You have Chesterfield Family Center addressed, you have Doling Family Center and we needed to make sure we had land but that was really deemed by the city council,” she said.
Dan Kinney, the building's namesake, was at the groundbreaking ceremony. Kinney is the former parks director. He says he drives close to the park often and regularly sees lots of people using the park. He says he hopes those people will enjoy having a family center nearby.
The two-story facility will cover more than 35,000 square feet and will have a variety of features for all ages.
For KSMU News, I’m Scott Butler.