Missouri news

City Council seeks bids for Springfield Art Museum construction management

KSMU | By Gregory Holman

Published September 6, 2023 at 8:12 AM CDT

The Education Wing and other portions of the Springfield Art Museum, shown on June 30, 2023, are set to be renovated by 2028 as part of a master plan announced in 2018.

The Springfield Art Museum’s 30-year master plan was expected to cost roughly $20 million when it was announced five years ago.

After reaching out to architecture firms last fall, Springfield is now poised to pick a construction manager for the long-term renovation of the taxpayer-owned museum in Phelps Grove Park.

On Tuesday night City Council voted 9-to-zero to approve a resolution adopting the “construction manager at risk” project delivery method — also known as CMAR — for the Art Museum upgrades.

The restoration of Fassnight Creek, shown here on June 30, 2023, is one of the completed master plan renovations to the Springfield Art Museum campus.

When the construction manager is “at risk,” the manager commits to deliver the job within a guaranteed maximum price. The idea is to make the building process more coordinated and less costly.

Art Museum renovations so far include parking areas and restoring Fassnight Creek; future renovations include the Education Wing and other parts of the museum building. City officials hope to complete construction before the museum’s 100th anniversary in 2028.