Renew Jordan Valley construction begins this month

SPRINGFIELD - Construction to daylight the Jordan Creek area in downtown Springfield will begin later this month as City Council approved the final plans and specifications for phase one of the Renew Jordan Creek project.

As the construction begins some downtown roads will experience closures.

From the start of the construction through March of 2025, Water Street between Campbell and Jefferson Avenues will be closed in two different parts. Before the project is completed in late 2026 portions of Campbell and Boonville Avenues will close down as well.

When asked if he is worried about road closures so close to his business the owner of Centerfield Sports Cards said he is confident in the downtown community.

"People that come downtown know how to navigate downtown. And the road closures are not really that big of a deal. So now it's not really a big deal for me now," says Jason Wilbanks, who has owned Centerfield Sports Cards for 30 years.

Wilbanks is in favor of the project but says he still has concerns.

"The city is going to have to address the homeless people sooner or later, because they're building this big brand-new park and it's going to be a magnet for homeless people. And they're going to have to address that whether they want to or not," says Wilbanks.

Project Manager with the City of Springfield says work is being done to make sure the new space will be utilized well.

"I know the city has worked with different organizations to help program the space. And whether that's yoga or outdoor classroom space, we're trying to get people out there and get it occupied and well used and so that it's used by the community," says Kirkland Preston.

While having concerns Wilbanks is ready to see the Jordan Creek area turned into something better.

"Springfield is still a city and nothing is ever perfectly nice and perfectly clean. But it'll be way better than the empty lot it is now," says Wilbanks.

The project is expected to cost $26.8 million dollars. You can find more details on the timeline and the closures here