Ozarks Technical Community College is ready to select a company to build its new Center for Workforce and Student Success.
At a meeting on Wednesday, Ozarks Tech’s board of directors will be asked to approve a construction contract with Springfield-based DeWitt & Associates.
It is the same company that built the Adah Fulbright Early Childhood Center, Nixas Aetos Center for the Performing Arts, the Dallas County Technical Center, and the Greene County Jail and Sheriff’s Office.
At $35.7 million, DeWitt & Associates was the lowest bidder among four bidders, including Crossland Construction Company, Branco Enterprises and Killian Construction.
The project includes $46 million in state funding that was part of the fiscal year 2025 budget that Governor Mike Parson signed this summer.
“We are grateful to Governor Parson and appreciate our office’s continued support of our strategic plans and commitment to student and workforce development,” Ozarks Tech Chancellor Hal Higdon said in a press release at the time.
“We are excited to create a center that will be the center of excellence and learning for our students for decades to come.”
The three-story, 100,000-square-foot building will be constructed on the west side of the Springfield campus — off the Chestnut Expressway at Sherman Avenue — and will be OTC’s home for academic support and career training.
The new center is part of the Springfield campus master plan and is scheduled to open in fall 2026. It will feature the following facilities:
- Dedicated areas for academic support services, including tutoring in writing, languages and mathematics, testing centers, computer labs and library services, and study areas;
- Space to conduct career fairs with local employers, mock interviews, apprenticeship outsourcing, CV building and professional development;
- Facilities to provide specialist training opportunities for local employers, the community and the college;
- A central gathering area for up to 650 students for lectures, presentations, community events and special ceremonies;
- A new bookstore, a food court and a multi-purpose room enable a variety of fitness and wellness activities.
The ceremonial laying of the foundation stone is planned for Thursday, September 26th, at 10 a.m.
According to Ozarks Tech, the college worked with N-Form Architecture for two years to complete plans for the center, with final construction bids received in late July.
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The total project cost is expected to be $48.5 million. The majority will be covered by state funds. The college can also rely on its own funds, grants and private donations.
Here is a breakdown of the estimated costs that will be submitted to the Board for approval:
- $35.7 million – building construction;
- $5.5 million – Equipment, systems, services. This includes fire and life-saving systems, IT infrastructure, security systems, carpet, pavers, and the relocation of a Verizon cellular booster tower;
- $3 million – Furniture, fixtures and equipment. This includes office and community furniture, audio-visual equipment, signage, kitchen appliances, waste receptacles, and sports and fitness center equipment;
- $2.7 million – project design. This includes architectural and engineering fees, geotechnical studies and advertising;
- $1.4 million – contingent liabilities. That’s the usual 3%.
More: OTC receives $46 million in state funding for new staff and student success center
Do you want to go?
The Ozarks Tech Board of Directors meets at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday in the Information Commons building on campus. The meeting is open to the public.
In addition to the construction contract for the Center for Workforce and Student Success, the following items are on the agenda:
- Application for the purchase of equipment, accessories and services for aircraft and engine construction;
- Request for the purchase of classroom furniture and laboratory equipment as part of the renovation of the Health Sciences Department in Lincoln Hall;
- Approved change orders, primarily reducing costs, for the North Pythian parking project and other campus improvements;
- Inquiries related to software updates, the purchase of a truck for the Electrical Distribution Systems program, and various annual memberships and fees for information technology, Internet and other services;
- Admitting new staff members, including Jarah Green, prison education coordinator; Donna Barton, college communications director; and Christopher Bowser, assistant provost for student affairs. Bowser most recently served as vice president of the State Technical College of Missouri.
