MSU to demo building to make way for $35M project

Missouri State University is holding a demolition ceremony as it prepares for a multimillion-dollar construction project on the southeast side of the Springfield campus.

A planned Dec. 16 ceremony will mark the start of demolition of the Art Annex, located at 1045 E. Grand St., according to a news release. In its place, the university plans to build the Judith Enyeart Reynolds Performing Arts Complex, as previously announced.

"This new facility will have a positive impact on all of our academic programs in the Reynolds College School of the Arts and the broader community," said Shawn Wahl, dean of the MSU Reynolds College of Art, Social Sciences and Humanities, in the release. “The Judith Enyeart Reynolds Performing Arts Complex is yet another enhancement inspired by private money that raises the profile of Missouri State University."

The total project cost for the arts complex is $35 million, said Emily Letterman, public relations strategist for MSU. J.E. Dunn Construction Group Inc. is serving as construction manager at risk for the project designed by Dake-Wells Architecture Inc., said Letterman, pointing to an expected fall 2026 completion date.

The C.W. Titus Foundation last year contributed an eight-figure donation in an undisclosed amount for the project, with officials saying the newly constructed facility would serve as a new "front porch" to campus. MSU also received a $17.5 million state appropriation for the project, according to the release.