Groundbreaking event to be held for Generations Village

A Willard housing development designed for foster families, foster youth and older adults is set to break ground this week.

A 4 p.m. Sept. 15 groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled at 787 Hughes Road, according to a news release. City, nonprofit and government officials, including representatives from the offices of Sens. Roy Blunt and Josh Hawley, are slated to be in attendance.

Trinity Housing Development LLC is developing the project designed by Wallace Architects LLC, said Kory Wilcox, a Generations Village board member. The scheduled completion date is fall 2023, Wilcox said.

The development calls on a "new 52-unit neighborhood designed to offer deep roots, rich relationships and on-site resources to its future residents," officials said in the release.

Houses and a community center are part of the plans.

Generations Village previously was approved for $900,000 in federal tax credits, $630,000 in state tax credits and a Missouri Housing Development Commission permanent loan of $1.3 million, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting.

“God just tapped me on the shoulder and said, ‘You live in a great area with a lot of problems and a lot of good people who will step on board and help,’” said Jan Furr, secretary of the Generations Village Board of Directors, in a January SBJ article. “You know how he does – he just kept talking to me.”