Now that Missouri Governor Mike Parson has approved the state’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget, Ozarks Technical Community College is moving forward with building a new three-story facility.
The Center for Workforce and Student Success will house academic support and workforce training. The 100,000-square-foot building will also house the library, career and tutoring center, a fitness center, food court and bookstore.
The project is estimated to cost $60 million and was approved by the OTC Board of Trustees June 12th. The college will receive $46 million from the state to construct the new facility. The rest of the money will come from private donations, grants and college capital funding.
OTC officials said it will anchor the west side of the Springfield campus and will sit at Chestnut Expressway and Sherman Avenue. The project also includes a student plaza with covered outdoor seating for dining and studying, food trucks, recreational activities and more. Ground is expected to be broken in late September.
The building and student plaza will replace a parking lot, but OTC officials said new lots will open on the north side of campus this fall, which will increase the amount of campus parking.
“We are grateful to Governor Parson and value his office’s continued support of our strategic plans and commitment to students and workforce development,” said Ozarks Tech Chancellor Hal Higdon in a press release. “We are excited to create a center that will be the heart of excellence and learning for our students for decades to come.”
Once the project is finished, the college’s master plan for the Springfield campus will be complete.