The sale of a downtown building between two charitable foundations is called a “game changer” for both — and for Springfield.
The Community Foundation of the Ozarks has reached an agreement with the Missouri State University Foundation to purchase the Kenneth E. Meyer Alumni Center, located at 300 S. Jefferson Ave. Announced on Thursday, Feb. 15, the sale price was $5.8 million.
The move allows the CFO to move into a downtown building with much more available space, and gives the MSU Foundation the opportunity to move its alumni center to the main campus.
“This is a game changer for both organizations,” said Brent Dunn, executive director of the Missouri State Foundation. “It’s a win for the foundation, it’s a win for CFO, it’s a win for downtown Springfield and a win for campus.”
More space for CFO
The CFO is currently housed at 425 E. Trafficway St., a few blocks north of the Meyer building. The 10,000-square-foot building was built in 2006. Before that, the foundation leased office space since its formation in 1973.
Already the CFO is outgrowing that space, said CEO and President Winter Kinne.
“We have people tucked into nooks and crannies and places that aren’t really offices,” Kinne said. “And for activities, because it always comes down to parking, we don’t have enough parking on Trafficway.”
The Meyer building offers a total of 81,083 square feet across six floors, as well as a parking garage next to the building on McDaniel Street. Kinne said that of the foundation’s staff of 38, 24 of them work in its Springfield office.
Designed by architect Richard Stahl, the building first opened in 1975 as a home for the Bank of Springfield, which eventually became Boatmen’s Bank. It was sold in 1989 to the foundation, who named it in honor of broadcaster Kenneth Meyer.
The CFO will move into the building in late 2024, Kinne said, starting out on its fourth floor, but expanding over time. The fourth floor used to house MSU’s Distance Learning department.
Private tenants occupy about 85% of the building — their current leases will be honored by the CFO.
While the fourth floor has about 1,000 fewer square feet of space than its current home, it will gain access to shared spaces such as the 3,700 square feet of the Meyer Building’s Turner Family Hospitality Room.
And as the Missouri State Foundation moves its center, even more space will become available. Dunn said the Missouri State Foundation will lease its current space from the CFO until it can move into a new alumni center. However, Missouri State University will continue to operate the Meyer Building with maintenance and security.
Slow transition, shared space
Dunn said a new alumni center will be built on the northwest corner of National and Bear streets, just north of the Davis-Harrington Welcome Center.
The Missouri State University Board of Governors will hear more about the design during its Friday meeting, Dunn said. The board will be asked to agree to a contract with Dake Wells Architecture for design services. Eventually, the university will be asked to build the center — potential costs have not yet been determined — and take ownership of it.
“We’re in the true design phase,” Dunn said. “And then we will bid out. Hopefully later this year, the project will start construction, and we think we will be open in ‘26.”
Foundation officials and architects have toured several universities across the country, including Oklahoma State, Mississippi State, North Dakota State and Utah State for inspiration and ideas. Dunn said the foundation has long sought to have a campus location for events and activities for days such as homecoming.
Dunn said the MSU Foundation is working with the Meyer Foundation to ensure that the center can continue the legacy of Kenneth Meyer, the broadcaster for whom the building is named.
The new center will be less about office space for its employees, and more about spaces for meetings, collaborations and events, Dunn said. While programming and other events may change, Dunn said it will benefit the campus.
“That’s really the purpose of the building, is to tell those types of stories, to tell the history of the university,” Dunn said. “We want students in there, we want faculty in there, and the plans that you’ll see later will be very special.”
