The City of Branson will consider the possibility of building a combination expanded convention center and athletics facility downtown.
The decision comes after announcements earlier this year that the city is considering a 17-acre lot on Gretna Road for a nearly 150,000 square foot standalone indoor sports facility. City leaders said they had been expected to and may still close on purchasing that property this fall.
The city’s Aldermen agreed to the proposed new study at a special capital improvement planning meeting September 10. Alderman Glenn Schulz summed up the reasoning in discussion ahead of the vote on the proposal.
“What’s being asked here is not a commitment," Schulz explained, "its being asked, to study the possibility. And it's going to take a while to study it and it's probably going to cost some money, we get that, but it’s just the direction that we want a study, before we spend money on a standalone sports facility, can we combine it with the convention center and gain more from our investment.”
Schulz and others on the board hoped a combined facility may cost less to build and generate a greater return on investment for the city. They also agreed that purchasing the property for the athletics facility would be a sound investment regardless of if they build the facility or resell the land at a later date.
Discussion of this new study took up most of the meeting, but it was initially convened to review the presentation of a seven-year capital improvement plan for the city to vote on at a later date. That plan includes 60 projects to be potentially taken on over the next seven years, including a new public works building, widening Highway 165, a new wastewater treatment plant expansion, trail connectivity improvements and more.