MoDOT buying Boys and Girls Club site

New interchange prompting relocation; center may move to LU campus

The Boys and Girls Club of the Capital City building sits atop Elm Street, just a short distance from the intersection of Elm and Lafayette in Jefferson City.
The Boys and Girls Club of the Capital City building sits atop Elm Street, just a short distance from the intersection of Elm and Lafayette in Jefferson City.

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) is in negotiations with the Boys and Girls Club of the Capital City to acquire the club's property at 727 E. Elm St.

MoDOT plans to begin an interchange project late this year, which would close the intersection at Elm and Lafayette, restricting access to the Boys and Girls Club.

"When the new interchange is completed, it will require us to close the intersection of Elm Street at Lafayette (Street) because Elm Street is going to be too close to the highway ramps that will be constructed for the interchange," said Mike Dusenberg, project manager for MoDOT's central district. "When you close Elm Street, that affects one of the access points to the Boys and Girls club. It makes it a little more difficult for them to operate as they currently do."

Dusenberg said MoDOT is working toward a resolution with the Boys and Girls Club, so that the agency can decide where to relocate and start plans for a new building.

"From a MoDOT standpoint, we have negotiated with the Boys and Girls Club," he said. "We've made an offer, and now we're waiting to get the paperwork finalized for how everything is going to work out."

Dusenberg declined to elaborate on the details of the offer.

State and Lincoln University officials have indicated a possible relocation of the Boys and Girls Club to Lincoln University.

State lawmakers approved a budget Thursday that includes $2.8 million as a 50 percent match to money raised locally, for construction of a new student Wellness Center on Locust Street at East Atchison, south of the Scruggs Residence Hall. LU has secured its portion of the match from Title III federal funds.

Kevin Rome, president of LU, said the school has a signed tentative agreement with the Boys and Girls Club to allow them to build a new facility attached to the Wellness Center.

The university plans to break ground on the center in October, with expected completion in fall 2015.

"Our timeline is set," Rome said. "The way the building is being constructed, it's in segments, so we can build our side and it can be complete before they (the Boys and Girls Club) start construction."

He said the Boys and Girls Club is solely responsible for funding their construction project, and the university will sell the agency the land for a certain period of time at a minimal cost. After the time is up, the land will revert back to the university.

But, the Boys and Girls Club cannot move forward with anything until negotiations with MoDOT are complete and funds are raised for a new facility, Rome said.

Stephanie Johnson, executive director for the Boys and Girls Club, said she didn't want to elaborate about any of the details, but the agency is certainly still in discussions with MoDOT.

"We're just excited about the possibility of new opportunities for the Boys and Girls Club," she said.

Dusenberg said MoDOT's current plans for the interchange project include it going to bid early this fall, with construction starting as early as winter.

He said there are some buildings and other structures that must come down and the department is working to acquire some of those properties. MoDOT has already hired a contractor to demolish the old Quinn Chapel Church structure.

"That project is really the first piece of the interchange project," he said. "There will be some additional demolition and some sewer work, which will all take place early in the project, hopefully this winter. It's really weather-dependent on when we can start on that, but there is some earth-moving we can start doing."

He said crews can also start on some of the bridge work this year if the weather is cooperative.

"The Jackson Street and Chestnut Street bridges will be completely removed and replaced, and that work will be done early in the project," Dusenberg said. "There will be lots of things happening, but most of it won't impact traffic until probably next spring."

Construction costs alone for the entire project are expected at nearly $17 million.

He said MoDOT has scheduled a public meeting tentatively for the end of May to present a traffic management plan - plans on the project and how it will impact traffic - to the public.

"That's going to be the biggest concern of a lot of people, how we're going to build this thing and how we're going to deal with traffic while construction is taking place," Dusenberg said. "There will be a subsequent public meeting on that and an opportunity for us to talk to folks about it then."