Engineering exec provides update on Lake Springfield project

An executive with the engineering and consulting firm hired to write the Lake Springfield master plan gave an update on the process during a Springfield Business Journal event yesterday.

Steve Prange, senior vice president and director of business development and strategy for Crawford, Murphy & Tilly Inc., said at SBJ's 12 People You Need to Know interview series that stakeholders in the project are currently working to gather funding.

"We're obviously pursuing every grant that we can possibly find, and there's so many different ones," Prange said. "There's so much federal funding out there as it relates to transportation that can help fund that piece of it. There's a lot of economic development money at the federal level."

Unveiled last year, the $1 billion Lake Springfield master plan calls for ecological improvements and the development of recreational, cultural and natural amenities, according to past reporting. The plan recommends dredging portions of the lake to form a series of so-called “eco islands," connectivity for the Chadwick Flyer Trail, and it would utilize 1,000 acres of property owned by City Utilities of Springfield. A public-private partnership has previously been envisioned.

"There's a lot of work that has to be done," Prange said yesterday. "I can see anywhere between five and 10 years of something really impactful happening out there. These types of projects take a while to happen."

The event that featured a live interview with Prange by SBJ Executive Editor Christine Temple was held at The Backlot, Alamo Drafthouse Springfield's restaurant and bar. Part of the interview featured a hot sauce challenge inspired by the "Hot Ones" talk show.

Read more about Prange and CMT's slate of projects here.