The Springfield Regional Police-Fire Training Center will be the new home of the City Council and Planning and Zoning Commission meetings beginning in October as Historic City Hall undergoes renovations.
Located at 2620 W. Battlefield Road, the training center will begin hosting meetings on Oct. 2, with similar protocol as that of meetings held at City Hall. Security check-in will remain the same, and public meetings will continue to be livestreamed at CityView.Springfieldmo.gov and on Facebook.com/CityofSGF.
Parking is available on the north and east side of the building, and a City Utilities bus stop is located nearby. Doors open for public meetings at 5:30 p.m., and the meeting room will open at 6 p.m., according to a news release from the city.
The meeting room at the Training Center has a seating capacity of 159, compared to the current capacity of City Council Chambers at City Hall, at 133.
“Many locations were considered, as extensive planning was conducted for this move over the past year,” City of Springfield spokesperson Cora Scott said in an email to the Hauxeda. “The Springfield Police-Fire Training Center will provide a safe, comfortable and accessible location for public meetings, with even better capacity for potential overflow attendance. Restroom facilities are considerably better than those in Historic City Hall. Technology has been upgraded to allow for maximum viewing opportunities for both City Council and Planning and Zoning Commission.”
The Oct. 2 City Council and the Oct. 5 Planning and Zoning meetings will begin at their usual start times of 6:30 p.m., and meetings will continue to be held every Monday and Thursday, respectively. City Council meetings are typically held every other Monday.
The City Council and Planning and Zoning Commission’s temporary move south will allow the city government to move forward with renovations to City Hall, which was built in 1891, and has not seen significant change since 1976, according to the news release.
Funding through the city’s level property tax, which was passed by voters in 2017, the city has budgeted $6,377,000 for the renovations, which will add a new fire stairwell, an elevator capable of accommodating medical emergencies, new mechanical and electrical systems, information technology and security upgrades, new public restrooms, renovated office spaces, and City Council Chambers.
The City Council and Planning and Zoning meetings will be held at the training center for the duration of the renovations, which are expected to be completed in late 2025, according to Scott.
