FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The City of Springfield is soliciting qualification statements from firms interested in providing architectural services for the design of an Environmental Services Campus project located on City-owned property on Rountree Road, west of West Bypass.
The Environmental Services department has seen significant growth in staffing and equipment over the past decade as additional resources are invested in sanitary sewer overflow control, solid waste and water quality programs across the city. Accommodating this growth has generally resulted in an overcrowding of current facilities and inefficiencies in the distribution of staff among multiple locations. Environmental Services plans to construct a new campus on a greenfield site immediately south of the City’s Southwest Wastewater Treatment Plant.
“The Department of Environmental Services fills a critical need in our community by providing effective wastewater, stormwater and solid waste services,” says Environmental Services Director Errin Kemper. “Over the decades, each of these service lines have evolved in different physical locations. Unifying our staff in one location will allow us to operate more efficiently and will free up much needed space for other City departments.”
The campus project will facilitate maintenance activities as well as office space for professional, technical and administrative staff.
The maintenance facility will include garages capable of housing approximately 70 large sewer maintenance vehicles and various other smaller work vehicles and may also provide office space for administration and technical staff who support the maintenance work, data collection and analysis. The campus may also incorporate a fueling station providing gas and diesel as well as EV charging stations. The maintenance facility will be secured with fencing to protect the buildings, equipment and materials stored on the site.
The office portion of the facility will provide a flexible, collaborative working environment for approximately 140 staff members and is envisioned to include a public facing education space to serve a variety of groups from elementary school through university and adult programs.
The campus grounds are envisioned to serve as an example of sustainable land development and a showcase of development in harmony with the environment. Implementation of best management practices for maintaining quality of stormwater, minimizing site grading, preservation of tree canopy are expected to serve as educational opportunities for campus visitors. The buildings are envisioned to tie into the natural surroundings as much as possible and include outdoor space amenities for the enjoyment of employees and visitors.
The project is estimated to cost $30 million and will be funded primarily through the City’s Sewer and Solid Waste enterprise funds. The new campus is a specific program element outlined in the City’s 2021 Supplemental Overflow Control Plan, approved by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR).
“Using an Integrated Planning approach, we’ve been able to work together with MDNR on a well-reasoned response to our Consent Judgement,” explains Kemper. “Our Supplemental Overflow Control Plan includes a 15-year schedule of investments related to sewer infrastructure and water quality and gives our community a lot of regulatory certainty while keeping sewer rate increases predictable and manageable for the foreseeable future. Part of this plan includes a new operations facility so we can coordinate the resources necessary to implement the required Overflow Control Plan.”
The Request for Qualifications and accompanying exhibits can be viewed at springfieldmo.gov/RFQ. Qualified architecture firms desiring consideration are invited to submit their digital Statements of Qualification (SOQ) by 1 p.m., Nov. 29, 2023 via email to [email protected]. An optional in-person pre-submittal conference will be hosted at 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 30 at 216 W. Central Avenue.
About Springfield Environmental Services
The city’s Environmental Services department strives to protect the quality of life of citizens and the unique natural resources of the region by providing exceptional management of wastewater, stormwater and solid waste for visitors and citizens of Springfield. The department keeps wastewater flowing efficiently in 1,200 miles of sewer mains to the city’s two award-winning treatment plants where they treat 44 million gallons of wastewater every day. Environmental Services also manages the disposal of 1,130 tons of trash per day at Springfield’s Noble Hill Sanitary Landfill and operates three recycling collection centers which help divert nearly 3,900 tons of recyclable solid waste each year from contributing to the landfill. Numerous programs are also managed through the department to keep trash, sediment, household chemicals and other sources of urban pollution out of area streams and lakes.
The department is recognized nationally for its leadership, innovation and environmental stewardship. In 2021, Environmental Services and Springfield Public Works collectively achieved reaccreditation from the American Public Works Association (APWA) – achieving 100% compliance. The reaccreditation certifies the departments met all requirements of the best management practices established nationally in the public works industry, a distinction met by only 1% of communities across the country.
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For more information, contact Communication Coordinator Kristen Milam at 573-819-3713 or [email protected].