Baptist Student Union plans large expansion across from MSU

Last edited 12:57 p.m., July 11, 2019

The Baptist Student Union, which has connected with Missouri State University students since the mid-1900s, is preparing for an estimated $10 million campus expansion at 906 S. National Ave.

Chris Wilson, director of the organization affiliated with the Jefferson City-based Missouri Baptist Convention, said the expansion project is in the early stages as officials work with the city of Springfield on rezoning approvals.

“Missouri State is remaining steady when it comes to student enrollment,” he said. “We want to help them in student retention. It’s a lot easier to retain students when you have a community of people.”

Plans call for a 70,000- to 80,000-square-foot mixed-use development with student housing, ministry space and commercial tenant areas. Billy Kimmons, principal architect with project designer Hood-Rich Architecture, said around 85 studio and two-bedroom units are currently planned, but that and the square footage may change depending on where the project lands with the city. Wilson noted the student housing would not just be earmarked for Baptist students.

Kimmons said the existing zoning at the Baptist Student Union comprises residential high density on the front half and single family on the back half. A planned development is required to encompass the commercial portion of the project, he said.

“In general, the city staff supports this rezoning,” he said, pointing to an Aug. 5 deadline to submit an application for the planned development.

Kimmons also noted he’s reached out to residents in the nearby Rountree neighborhood, though a formal meeting has not yet been held.

Officials say the project would provide up to five stories of student housing, with an estimated completion date of July 2021.

Wilson said the new campus would replace the existing, smaller Baptist Student Union, as well as another adjacent building the Missouri Baptist Convention owns located directly at the crosswalk to MSU across National Avenue. The other building has housed cellphone repair store Wireless Trendz, which Wilson said has brought residual income to the Baptist Student Union.

Since starting as director 10 years ago, the MSU alum has worked to improve the Baptist Student Union he said had been going downhill as donations from area churches subsidized. The Wireless Trendz lease has helped with operations, and the expanded campus, with 3,000 commercial square feet, is expected to do the same, he said.

“I’ve reached out to a lot of minorities in business to see if we could get somebody in there because I want to support them,” said Wilson, who also runs a Chinese Baptist church at the South National property.

To fund the expansion, Wilson said he’ll work with alumni on donations, and additionally, the Missouri Baptist Convention will be hiring a capital fundraiser.

A general contractor has not yet been selected for the project, which Kimmons hopes also will be a catalyst for improving the crosswalk across National Avenue to the MSU campus. He said through the development, Hood-Rich designers are making provisions so that future crosswalks could be incorporated into the site.

“I’d like to see a skybridge,” he said.

At MSU, a seventh straight enrollment record was set last fall with 24,390 students, according to SBJ reporting.