New Ozark Government Plaza Breaks Ground

This story courtest of Parket Padgett and Ben Gilbert of OzarksFirst.com-

A groundbreaking ceremony was held this morning to mark the beginning of construction on a new government plaza in Ozark.

The groundbreaking ceremony will mark the first step in developing a 39.36-acre parcel purchased by Christian County in January 2020 by expanding water and sewer infrastructure throughout the site.

Phase One of the project will include the construction of buildings for the County’s operational staff, its recycling center and maintenance and storage. The project also includes the development of a half-mile walking trail.

Additionally, one of the stormwater detention basins has been designed to serve as a small outdoor performance venue. The municipal campus will occupy roughly half of the 39.36-acre property with the remaining areas having road frontage being reserved for commercial development.

“The Historic Courthouse on the Ozark Square is a symbol of our heritage and has served this
county well for a very long time and I believe it will continue to do so,” said Eastern Commissioner Bradley Jackson. “With that said, trying to meet all the needs of our continually growing population within the downtown square is no longer realistic and presents ever-growing access and parking problems for the businesses nearby. My hope is that over time this transition will support vitality here on the square while also expanding economic development opportunities near the future campus.”

Christian County has been one of Missouri’s fastest-growing counties for many years, increasing in population from 32,644 in 1990 to an estimated population of 93,114 in 2022, according to the press release.