Our weekly program, Making Democracy Work, is a collaboration between KSMU Radio and the League of Women Voters of Southwest Missouri. It's hosted and produced by volunteers from the LWV, and it airs each Monday morning at 9:45 on KSMU.
In this episode of our local program Making Democracy Work, Dr. Hueping Chin speaks with Kristen Milam, senior communications coordinator at the City of Springfield.
Chin: Well, there's an ongoing construction and traffic redirection in downtown Springfield, but many folks didn't realize there is a major project to revitalize Springfield behind all this debris, noise and detour. So, can you remind us what this project is about?
Milam: Under construction right now is the phase one project of Renew Jordan Creek effort. So, that's going on between Boonville and Main in downtown Springfield. So, that's been going on for the past year, and we're hoping to wrap up by the end of 2026. And it's a major transformational project that really is focused on flooding remediation in downtown as well as a variety of other things.
Chin: So, you mentioned that the project will complete the end of this year, 2026?
Milam: Yes. We are still on target to wrap up near the end of this year. So, we've still got a lot going on down there, but you can start to see it taking shape for sure.
Chin: Okay, so you are talking about the phase one is ending, but then there will be a phase two?
Milam: Yes. Renew Jordan Creek is much more than just the phase one project. We've been working on it actually since early 2000. We did a Corps of Engineers study that actually gave us a whole big long list of projects, both upstream and downstream. We've been working on all those projects. That's detention basin as well as a bunch of bridge improvements in order to reduce flooding throughout the Jordan Valley.
Chin: Wonderful. I'm so glad that you mentioned that, because a lot of listeners probably don't know when you mentioned about Jordan Creek renewal. So, most people don't know that Jordan Creek is actually currently underneath all the concrete, correct? And then so, this is a kind of a bring out the creek to see the daylight. So, can you explain the process. Why is it important to do so?
Milam: Springfield actually grew up on the banks of Jordan Creek in downtown Springfield. So, there's a lot of history there and there's a lot of industry, historic industry down there what happened in the 20s and 30s. People were noticing that the creek was getting really polluted. Everybody dumped everything in there. So, the solution at the time was to bury the creek and put it underneath the ground. So, it's actually a series of very old culverts as well as culvert bridges through downtown Springfield. So many people before this project driving through would not have even known that it was underneath the ground, except it routinely floods about once, if not twice, every decade. We have some major flooding that creates some property damage. So, that means that there are certain areas that people haven't wanted to invest in those properties because of that flooding. It also doesn't look great. What we know now is that it's better for flooding to reduce flooding as well as water quality, as well as, you know, placemaking to bring these creeks up above ground, show them the light of day so that we can all enjoy them and clean up the water.
Chin: And of course, this effort will actually improve the environment, the physical environment, in Springfield and not just the downtown area. It will benefit the whole area, the southwest Missouri, because the Jordan Creek eventually flows into, remind me, which river or lake?
Milam: I don't know. Off the top of my head. I know it all makes it down to Table Fock. I believe it flows into the James River where we all go float tripping and then eventually makes it in Table Rock Lake. Everything we do is really to help improve the water quality in our waterways and also enjoy them.
Chin: And there will be more trails and the expansion of green space as well, right?
Milam: Yes. So, another goal of the project is connectivity. It also connects the Jordan Creek Greenway trail further west, a dog park. We've got a lot of plazas and hardscapes and walkways and gathering spaces that support that placemaking goal as well. So, we're really hoping that this is going to be something that people will come down and enjoy and gather, and we can host additional events down there. We're working with MSU to have Brick City program this space a little bit and bring their students and their art groups out to help us really enliven the space.
Chin: So, this is such a big project. Where did the funding come from?
Milam: The phase one project that's currently underway is about $38 million total. And that's coming 50% from some local funds and also 50% from some federal and state funds. So, that's really — we've been really creative coming up with the funding with this one. And we recently actually just received a $3.58 million grant from the EPA to start some brownfields cleanup, some environmental cleanup of the phase two site that's actually going to be over on Jefferson at 404 and 428 North Jefferson. So, we're really excited to get that funding from the EPA to start on the future phase two.
Chin: Wonderful. Well, where can we listeners, you know, find more information?
Milam: You can learn more at renewjordancreek.com. There's information about the construction as well as the overall master planning efforts.