College Street Revitalization Plan Public Meeting & Open House
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The City has engaged West Des Moines, Iowa-based Eocene Environmental Group to develop a strategy for revitalization of the Route 66/College Street corridor from Grant Avenue to Kansas Expressway through targeted redevelopment, environmental assessment and community-driven planning.
The project area falls within the boundaries of the West Central Neighborhood Alliance.
The effort will leverage $99,000 in EPA brownfields assessment grant resources to identify and address underutilized and potentially contaminated sites, while aligning land use, transportation, housing and infrastructure investments with community priorities and the Forward SGF Comprehensive Plan.
A public meeting and open house is planned for 4-6 p.m., Monday, June 22 at the Midtown Carnegie Branch Library, 301 E. Central St. The City and Eocene will provide a 10-minute presentation at 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.; otherwise, the event is come-and-go.
The Route 66/College Street corridor is surrounded by multiple brownfield sites, including bulk oil stations, auto salvage and recycling yards, auto repair shops, a hazardous waste area and railways. Past assessments reveal heavy contamination of petroleum, heavy metals and PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, a group of more than 100 different chemical compounds formed by the incomplete burning of organic materials like coal, oil, gas, wood and garbage). PAHs are common environmental pollutants and are classified as potential human carcinogens.
“We are incredibly grateful to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for this vital Brownfields Grant investment in our community,” said Amanda Ohlensehlen, director of Economic Vitality and Workforce for the City of Springfield. “These funds will help us turn underused and potentially contaminated properties into catalysts for new housing, business development and job creation. This is more than a cleanup – it’s an opportunity to reinvigorate key areas of our city and strengthen the local economy. We appreciate the EPA’s continued partnership and commitment to helping communities like ours create a healthier, more prosperous future.”
Key goals:
• Facilitate corridor revitalization by supporting redevelopment of brownfield and underutilized properties.
• Advance economic development through small business support, mixed-use opportunities, and reinvestment in historically disinvested areas.
• Improve multimodal connectivity, safety, and access for pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit users.
• Preserve and integrate the corridor’s historic Route 66 character into redevelopment strategies.
• Expand housing opportunities, including infill development and preservation of affordability.
• Incorporate green infrastructure, environmental resilience, and water quality improvements into corridor design.
• Ensure alignment with City plans, capital improvements, and funding mechanisms to support implementation.
• Maintain continuous community engagement and build long-term stakeholder ownership of the plan.
Fieldwork to develop the revitalization plan is expected to run through April 2027. Initial efforts will focus on project initiation, stakeholder coordination and community engagement, including formation of a community advisory team (CAT) and public outreach. Those interested in serving on the CAT are asked to apply at https://www.springfieldmo.gov/FormCenter/Economic-Vitality-29/College-Street-Revitalization-Plan-Commu-566.
Selections will be made by June 15.
Concurrently, the project team will conduct visioning and market analysis, evaluating redevelopment potential, brownfield conditions and corridor opportunities, while integrating community input into emerging concepts.
The project will transition into plan development in December, synthesizing technical analysis and stakeholder feedback into targeted recommendations for land use, economic development, housing, transportation, infrastructure and environmental resilience.
Community engagement will continue into early 2027 to refine priorities and validate draft recommendations. The process will conclude with preparation and delivery of a final, implementation-ready College Street Revitalization Plan in April 2027.
The project area falls within the boundaries of the West Central Neighborhood Alliance.
The effort will leverage $99,000 in EPA brownfields assessment grant resources to identify and address underutilized and potentially contaminated sites, while aligning land use, transportation, housing and infrastructure investments with community priorities and the Forward SGF Comprehensive Plan.
A public meeting and open house is planned for 4-6 p.m., Monday, June 22 at the Midtown Carnegie Branch Library, 301 E. Central St. The City and Eocene will provide a 10-minute presentation at 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.; otherwise, the event is come-and-go.
The Route 66/College Street corridor is surrounded by multiple brownfield sites, including bulk oil stations, auto salvage and recycling yards, auto repair shops, a hazardous waste area and railways. Past assessments reveal heavy contamination of petroleum, heavy metals and PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, a group of more than 100 different chemical compounds formed by the incomplete burning of organic materials like coal, oil, gas, wood and garbage). PAHs are common environmental pollutants and are classified as potential human carcinogens.
“We are incredibly grateful to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for this vital Brownfields Grant investment in our community,” said Amanda Ohlensehlen, director of Economic Vitality and Workforce for the City of Springfield. “These funds will help us turn underused and potentially contaminated properties into catalysts for new housing, business development and job creation. This is more than a cleanup – it’s an opportunity to reinvigorate key areas of our city and strengthen the local economy. We appreciate the EPA’s continued partnership and commitment to helping communities like ours create a healthier, more prosperous future.”
Key goals:
• Facilitate corridor revitalization by supporting redevelopment of brownfield and underutilized properties.
• Advance economic development through small business support, mixed-use opportunities, and reinvestment in historically disinvested areas.
• Improve multimodal connectivity, safety, and access for pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit users.
• Preserve and integrate the corridor’s historic Route 66 character into redevelopment strategies.
• Expand housing opportunities, including infill development and preservation of affordability.
• Incorporate green infrastructure, environmental resilience, and water quality improvements into corridor design.
• Ensure alignment with City plans, capital improvements, and funding mechanisms to support implementation.
• Maintain continuous community engagement and build long-term stakeholder ownership of the plan.
Fieldwork to develop the revitalization plan is expected to run through April 2027. Initial efforts will focus on project initiation, stakeholder coordination and community engagement, including formation of a community advisory team (CAT) and public outreach. Those interested in serving on the CAT are asked to apply at https://www.springfieldmo.gov/FormCenter/Economic-Vitality-29/College-Street-Revitalization-Plan-Commu-566.
Selections will be made by June 15.
Concurrently, the project team will conduct visioning and market analysis, evaluating redevelopment potential, brownfield conditions and corridor opportunities, while integrating community input into emerging concepts.
The project will transition into plan development in December, synthesizing technical analysis and stakeholder feedback into targeted recommendations for land use, economic development, housing, transportation, infrastructure and environmental resilience.
Community engagement will continue into early 2027 to refine priorities and validate draft recommendations. The process will conclude with preparation and delivery of a final, implementation-ready College Street Revitalization Plan in April 2027.
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Where is it happening?
Midtown Carnegie Library, 397 E Central St,Springfield, Missouri, United States
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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Host or PublisherCity of Springfield, MO
