Springfield hires architects and construction manager ahead of lodging-tax vote

Springfield, August 24, 2025

News Summary

City officials launched the next planning phase for a proposed downtown Springfield Regional Convention & Event Center by soliciting architectural design teams and a Construction Manager at Risk to begin preconstruction work. The consultant-recommended facility is roughly 125,000 square feet with an estimated $175 million construction cost. A $30 million state appropriation is currently restricted and would need a local match; councilors propose a lodging-tax increase to support bond debt and have allocated $250,000 for early professional work. Selection timelines are accelerated to show progress before an upcoming lodging-tax vote while financing and operational gaps remain unresolved.

Springfield moves fast to hire design and construction teams ahead of November lodging-tax vote

The city of Springfield has started design and preconstruction work for a proposed downtown convention and event center, moving quickly to hire architects and a construction manager before voters decide on a lodging-tax increase in November. City actions include requests for teams to submit qualifications and tight timelines for selecting those teams as officials press to keep potential state funding on the table.

Top facts up front

– A consultants’ report recommended building a 125,000-square-foot event center and estimated the cost at about $175 million. Some project descriptions have also listed a larger figure of 250,000 square feet, creating a range in reported size as planning moves forward.
– The city announced on Aug. 12 that it was seeking Statements of Qualifications for full architectural services and on Aug. 18 invited teams to apply to serve as Construction Manager at Risk (CMaR) to help deliver the project on an accelerated timeline.
– Selection deadlines from the city include choosing the architectural team by Sept. 5 and asking that team to submit a proposed contract by Sept. 19. The construction-manager finalist is set to be chosen Sept. 10 with negotiations concluding by Sept. 24, according to city releases.

Funding picture and urgency

Springfield is already investing money in planning before final state or local approvals. City Council allocated $250,000 from existing hotel/motel tax fund reserves for early expenses tied to the project, with about $100,000 already spent on consultants to study financing options. City staff say more local dollars could be reallocated if design and construction planning require it.

The state legislature included a $30 million appropriation for Springfield in the most recent state budget, but that amount sits on the governor’s restricted list and would be released only at the governor’s discretion and possibly subject to a required local match. City leaders want to show forward momentum so the state allocation remains available.

A Citizens’ Advisory Board recommended using one year of revenue from a recently approved half-cent sales tax (the SPRING Forward SGF portion) to make up the $30 million local match. A City Council vote to use those funds was expected on Aug. 25. Even if the state and local matches total $60 million combined, that would still cover only part of the project estimated at $175 million, leaving the city to identify the remainder.

The November ballot and costs

To fund construction, the council has sent a measure to voters to raise the hotel/motel tax by an additional 3 percentage points on the Nov. 4 ballot. That lodging-tax increase would create a dedicated revenue stream to support bond repayment for construction, but it would not currently fund ongoing operations of the facility or the cost of a recommended 400-room hotel adjacent to the center.

The Greene County clerk has confirmed the lodging-tax question as the only issue on the county ballot so far. Holding the Nov. 4 election will mean extra cost for the city beyond the $250,000 already set aside; the city’s estimate for the single-question election runs in excess of $277,000.

Project scope, standards and timing

Planning documents and feasibility work by outside consultants say the center would host conventions, concerts, tournaments and community gatherings and could be a catalyst for downtown investment and jobs. Design requirements include meeting at least LEED Silver standards. If voters approve the lodging fee increase, construction could begin as early as 2026 under current planning scenarios, though final timing depends on funding and contract progress.

City staff expect to identify a site in the next 60–90 days as engineers and architects start work. Officials also stress that if key funding pieces fall through, the project would likely be stalled or re-evaluated.

Selection process and next steps

The city sought Statements of Qualifications for an architectural team capable of full design services and multidisciplinary work including interior design and engineering. Some timelines published alongside the requests for qualifications set submittal deadlines in late August, with shortlisted firms to be notified in early September and interviews and contract talks to follow.

The city has invited qualified firms to apply for the Construction Manager at Risk role so design and preconstruction work can run alongside selection and final funding decisions. The CMaR will be expected to work with the design team to try to keep the project on an accelerated schedule if the ballot measure and funding pieces line up.

Risks and outstanding questions

Major remaining questions include final site selection, full funding for construction and operations, and how an adjacent hotel would be financed. The lodging-tax measure would create construction funding but does not solve operating shortfalls expected for the center. State funding timing is uncertain because the governor has discretion over the release of the allocated $30 million and any release would require a local match and a spending deadline by mid‑2026.

What happens next

In the coming weeks the city plans to finalize design and construction-manager selections, continue work with consultants to refine financing, and seek City Council and voter approval for local funding pieces. If key funding pieces remain in place, the city anticipates moving forward with preconstruction work while waiting for the election outcome and any final state action.

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FAQ

Key project features

Feature	Detail
Estimated size	125,000 sq ft (consultants’ recommendation); some descriptions list 250,000 sq ft
Estimated cost	$175 million
State funding	$30 million allocated but on the governor’s restricted list; local match required
Local match proposal	$30 million proposed from one year’s SPRING Forward SGF sales tax revenue
City seed money	$250,000 allocated from hotel/motel tax fund reserves for early planning
Ballot measure	Additional 3% hotel/motel tax to be decided by voters on Nov. 4
Architect selection	Selection by Sept. 5; contract proposal due by Sept. 19
Construction manager selection	Finalist selected by Sept. 10; negotiations conclude by Sept. 24
Other concerns	Operating costs and financing for an adjacent 400-room hotel are not yet identified

Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic

Additional Resources

• News-Leader: Springfield moves quickly to hire architects ahead of Nov. lodging-tax vote
• Wikipedia: Convention center
• KY3: Springfield takes next big step toward regional convention & event center
• Google Search: Springfield regional convention and event center
• OzarksFirst: City of Springfield continues toward new convention and event center
• Google Scholar: convention center economic impact
• News-Leader: Springfield convention center funding could include new hotel tax
• Encyclopedia Britannica: municipal finance & public infrastructure
• OzarksFirst: Springfield convention center architects
• Google News: Springfield convention center lodging tax