The City of Springfield held a listening session Tuesday night focused on the future of a proposed convention and event center downtown.
Voters rejected a hotel/motel tax increase in November that would have helped pay for the project. City officials are trying to decide what to do next.
A recent survey sheds light on what citizens are thinking about the subject.
Forty-five to 55% of respondents said they were open to a revised proposal if details improve, 15 to 25% were skeptical or indifferent and 27 to 30 % firmly opposed the project, regardless of changes.
The survey results have led the city to consider a hard cap of $175 million for a new convention and event center and a 35-year sunset.
Mona Pieron told City Manager David Cameron the city needs to do a better job of telling their story. She said she wants to see what's worked in other cities.
"We want to see their numbers," she said. "We want to know, and if that looks like that's a reflection of the same thing that could happen here, that's much better than saying, 'it's going to be great.' "
Cameron told her he agreed.
Wes Pratt, co-founder of the Multicultural Business Association, said he believes a convention center could be a tremendous economic development. But he wants to be sure underrepresented constituents are involved in discussions from the beginning.
"There's a concern that some of the issues associated with underrepresented, underserved, under resourced businesses are not being adequately addressed," he said. "We're also concerned about the fact that we would like to have these local emerging businesses also participating in the benefits of a project such as this."
Vickie Trippe raised concerns about even more money from the voter-approved Spring Forward SGF sales tax being used in the future for an economic development project. $30 million in revenue from that tax would be used to help pay for a new convention and event center.
"I'm still going to be really unhappy if anybody comes back for a…second part of that 10-year tax as a business support and not the neighborhoods and the parks and things like that," she said.
The main message repeated by those who want the city to try again for a convention and event center was that Springfield loses money every day it doesn't have one. Visit Springfield President and CEO Mark Hecquet said groups aren't coming to Springfield because they don't want to; it's because the city can't accommodate them.
Resident Rob Blevins said Springfield needs a new convention and event center.
"Our town will be better by doing this for us," he said. "And that's the most important part about any of this is that we can have a better city for us."
But he said, if the city tries again, citizens need to know how it would benefit the city.
The deadline to put another ballot issue before voters in April is January 27, so if the city decides to try again, the issue would be discussed at the next two council meetings.
Copyright 2026 KSMU
