SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The City of Springfield is planning a project to help showcase the downtown area, which includes “daylighting” part of Jordan Creek.
During The Great Depression in the 1930s, the city redirected the creek underground to conceal the then-polluted waterway and reduce flooding. Over the past 10-20 years, significant improvements have been made in flood reduction.
The Renew Jordan Creek initiative seeks to improve water quality and beautify the city by bringing the creek back to the surface.
Rusty Worley, director of Downtown Springfield Association, says the project has a strong potential to enhance urban amenities and stimulate further redevelopment in the area.
“We’ve gone on community leadership visits for the last three decades,” Worley told The Heartlander. “One thing we found is that people are attracted to water. Springfield doesn’t have a river, lake or body of water in our downtown. This is an attempt to create creekside property and waterfront property in the heart of downtown. It opens up the trail system here in downtown and creates new mixed-use opportunities on the north side of downtown.”
In order to daylight the area, the first phase will concentrate on constructing a channel along approximately 1,000 linear feet of Jordan Creek and rehabilitating the surrounding land as green space with native plants. An urban lifestyle will coexist with nature in the space.
The project aims to incorporate Founders Park into the greater Renew Jordan Creek master plan. The city wants to breathe new life into the park and leverage its location and connectivity to the Jordan Creek greenway.
Worley explains the new waterfront property will be a perfect match for the investments made by the city and Missouri State University in the urban research park called the IDEA Commons, once renovations are finished. IDEA is an abbreviation for innovation, design, entrepreneurship and art.
The area is being developed and will combine office, retail, residential, entertainment and industrial spaces with assistance from university programs. Spanning approximately 88 acres, the IDEA Commons is centrally located within Jordan Creek. Food trucks will have the opportunity to park and conduct business in the region’s public open spaces.
Worley reports the city recently obtained a $25 million RAISE federal grant, part of which will be used to establish trails that link downtown’s West Meadows with West Springfield, near Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield.
Bids for the project will be accepted by the city until Sept. 18. Construction will start right away once the council approves the winning contractor. The work is scheduled for completion in 2026.
For more about Renew Jordan Creek, visit the website.
