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Education news and issues in the Ozarks.

Drury Hires Design Firm, to Hold Sessions for Master Planning Process Next Week

Ryan Welch
/
KSMU

Drury University is seeking input on its campus master planning process, which launches next week with the help of design firm Cooper Robertson.

The architecture and urban design company was recently selected by the Springfield school to lead what it calls a strategic, momentum-building planning process.

In a news release, the university says “The plan will help bolster Drury’s new vision for academics and campus life, and will lend further momentum to the ongoing revitalization of central Springfield. As such, the plan will be created with extensive input from both the Drury and Springfield communities.”

The school notes that the master plan, when drafted, will give Drury officials an idea about what its long-term fundraising goals and priorities should be.

Cooper Robertson recently completed work on the new Gateway Arch Museum and Visitor Center in St. Louis and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, where the company is based. According to Drury, the firm was selected from a slate of nationally known firms.

In an email to KSMU, Drury’s Director of Media Relations Mike Brothers says the school is not disclosing the cost to hire Cooper Robertson or any of the project’s phases. It’s being paid for by donors to the Futures Fund, which he says is a separate and distinct fundraising effort to pay for this and “other momentum-building, strategic initiatives happening at Drury right now.” According to Brothers, more than $1 million has so far been donated to the Futures Fund in its first year, with a goal of $3 million over three years.

The week of April 17, representatives from Cooper Robertson will be on campus to conduct a multi-day design charrette to gather input. Besides Drury faculty, staff and students, the university says it’s seeking feedback from Midtown Neighborhood residents, the City of Springfield, Greene County, and others. According to the school, the charrette week builds on the work done by a campus task force, which established guiding principles for the process and selected the firm. The task force is led by Drury trustees Kris Anderson and Rita Baron.

The sessions will take place in the Hammons School of Architecture building. Among the events open to the public are a student co-design session Wednesday, April 19 at 1 pm, and an open house on Thursday, April 20 at 5 pm.

In addition, administrators, faculty, staff and students will participate in various session by invite-only.

“We are delighted to have the expertise and experience of Cooper Robertson involved with our master planning process,” Drury University President Dr. Tim Cloyd said in a news release. “Cooper Robertson is a renowned campus planning and architecture firm that has helped transform leading institutions around the country. As Drury moves into a new era, it will be crucial for us to craft a vision of our physical campus that not only reflects our academic values, but enhances our profile regionally and nationally.”

According to the school, several phases of the planning process will be carried out over the coming months, culminating with a plan presented to the Drury Board of Trustees at its fall meeting.