What I’m Watching: Housing supply, 411 acres for growth and Jordan Creek’s next chapter
September 4, 2026
Most of you have heard me talk about this before, and I know many of you share the concern: the cost and availability of housing is becoming an increasingly important economic competitiveness issue for our region.
Yesterday at Good Morning Springfield, we took that conversation into a more public setting in front of more than 400 business leaders. We also had the privilege of gathering in Ozarks Tech’s remarkable new $48 million Michael L. Parson Student Union — a transformative addition to the campus and a special venue for the morning.
The housing panel reinforced that there is no single silver bullet. A number of factors contribute to the cost of building a new home. But there are communities around the country that appear to be figuring some of this out, and we’re watching them closely. At the same time, we’re working with partners across our community and region to attack the cost of new housing development and the housing-supply challenge at its roots.
Here’s what I’m watching…
A 229-acre Ozark development puts real housing supply behind the conversation
Marabella has broken ground in Ozark on a roughly 229-acre development planned to include 536 single-family lots, multifamily and townhome housing, commercial space, trails and other amenities. The project is expected to develop in phases over several years.
Why it matters: Yesterday’s housing conversation makes this more than a subdivision story. If housing availability and affordability increasingly affect our ability to attract and retain workers, adding meaningful supply across different housing types becomes part of our economic infrastructure. No single project solves the challenge, but substantial new supply matters.
Source: Springfield News-Leader, Aug. 19 — Read more
Springfield opens another 411 acres for future growth
A series of road projects near Springfield Underground is now complete, improving access to about 411 acres targeted for future commercial and industrial development. The work includes improvements to LeCompte Road, an extension of Eastgate Avenue and the realignment of Old Wire Road, completed through a partnership involving the Erlen Group, City of Springfield, City Utilities, Greene County and the State of Missouri.
Why it matters: Companies can’t locate or expand on land that lacks the roads, utilities and access they need. This is one of those projects the Chamber has worked hard on for several years, advocating at both the local and state levels as multiple funding pieces came together. We pushed for it for exactly this reason: opening one of Springfield’s largest remaining concentrations of commercial and industrial land to future employers and investment. Federal, state, local and private resources ultimately all played a role in moving the infrastructure forward.
Source: Springfield News-Leader, Sept. 3 — Read more
Renew Jordan Creek is nearing completion — and the next chapter may be even more interesting
Phase one of Renew Jordan Creek is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, with a public opening targeted for spring 2027. The city is already working with downtown stakeholders on how the new space will be used and activated.
Why it matters: Springfield has talked about transforming Jordan Creek downtown for decades. Our Chamber-led community visioning work in 2017 and 2018 helped elevate that idea into a shared priority around which the community began aligning and pursuing resources.
So I’m excited to see the physical project nearing completion. But what interests me next is what happens around it. A significant new amenity can change the economics of nearby private investment. We’ll see whether Renew Jordan Creek helps unlock the next generation of development downtown — which was always part of the opportunity.
Source: KSMU, Sept. 1 — Read more
$72 million in neighborhood needs puts a finite resource in perspective
Springfield’s Neighborhood Works+ process generated more than 560 project ideas, eventually narrowed to about 160 viable projects estimated to cost $72.2 million. The first round has $5 million available, with recommended projects reaching 22 of the city’s 24 registered neighborhoods and focusing largely on sidewalks, traffic calming, stormwater and quality-of-place improvements.
Why it matters: I’m glad the first dollars from Spring Forward SGF are going directly into neighborhoods, and this process makes clear that there will be additional neighborhood needs ahead.
It also highlights the choices involved in stewarding a finite resource. The half-cent portion of Spring Forward SGF is expected to generate about $30 million annually, and it was designed to advance a broad range of Forward SGF priorities. I tend to think about three especially important lanes for those dollars: neighborhood reinvestment, job creation and housing supply. No single project can accomplish all three, and the Citizens Advisory Board and City Council will have important choices to make about how to balance those needs over time.
Source: KSMU, Sept. 1 — Read more | City of Springfield — Spring Forward SGF framework