Editor's Note: See the correction posted at the bottom of this article. This article updates and expands upon earlier coverage posted Tuesday.
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A new facility for Special Olympics Missouri will be planned for Jefferson City, officials announced Tuesday.
During a press conference at the current headquarters of Special Olympics Missouri, or SOMO, officials announced that the planned Training for Life campus project has been awarded to Jefferson City over a competing bid from Columbia. Phillip Cook, chair of the SOMO board of directors, said the board voted unanimously to award the project to Jefferson City after a meeting Saturday.
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"It was a difficult decision," Cook said. "The decisions that were being made this past weekend were some of the most historic in the history of SOMO and it's going to carry us forward for several decades."
In September, SOMO issued a request for proposals from Jefferson City and Columbia for a site for the planned Training for Life Campus, which also would include SOMO headquarters. The request was issued after the Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce and Jefferson City parks staff began working on a proposal that sought to combine the project with the Parks and Recreation Commission's planned multipurpose building. The chamber's proposal also included using 15 acres of land owned by the Jefferson City Public Schools and using lodging tax funds previously earmarked for a conference center.
But in mid-October, chamber officials announced they would not propose the collaborative project to SOMO because of a lack of support from the Jefferson City Council and the Parks and Recreation Commission. Instead, a plan was proposed that revolved around a then-unnamed developer who had offered to donate several acres for the Training for Life Campus, with neither the site owner nor site location being identified at the time.
The final proposal submitted by the chamber included a donation of 15.5 acres near U.S. 54 and Missouri 179 that was donated by Land Investments, owned by Bud Farmer, Mike Farmer and Frank Twehous.
That donation is what secured the bid for Jefferson City.
Cook said the Columbia proposal involved leasing a plot of land to SOMO for the campus in a partnership with the city's parks department, but Jefferson City's proposal, thanks to the land donation, allows SOMO to own the property the campus will be built on.
"That was the No. 1 determining factor," Cook said. "This way we can call it our home, we own it."
When the proposal was initially unveiled last fall, officials said Land Investments would use the campus as an anchor to spur further commercial development on adjacent land, similar to what has been done at the Kohl's and Menard's locations.
Mayor Eric Struemph said the community has been working on trying to bring this project to Jefferson City for the past year, noting the campus is expected to bring in approximately $1 million in tourism revenue per year, plus $1 million in payroll.
"What a great day for our capital city," Struemph said. "We are very happy to be chosen for this project."
Sen. Mike Kehoe also has been involved in the project; most notably he will be working to try to transfer state tax credits SOMO had received to use as a fundraising incentive from Boone County to either Cole County or Jefferson City.
Kehoe said that could happen in one of two ways. Either Boone County officials willingly transfer the credits to the county or city, or, if they are unwilling to do so, Kehoe said the Missouri Department of Economic Development could withdraw the credits, since the project is no longer in Boone County, and either Cole County or Jefferson City could reapply.
Another issue for SOMO will be existing donors. The organization has been fundraising throughout 2014 with an identified site in Boone County. When asked if the organization has secured support from all previous donors to the project, Cook said they have reached out to some donors, but not all and they are still unsure of how the change in location will affect existing donations.
"I think it's yet to be determined how this move will affect some of those commitments that we already have," Cook said. "We also recognize that it could be possible that we have some additional contributions from the Jefferson City community."
In a press release, Columbia city officials expressed disappointment that they were not awarded the project.
"We are disappointed not to play host to Special Olympics Missouri to be sure, but certainly happy for our friends in Jefferson City as we know how lucky they are to get this wonderful organization," said Columbia City Manager Mike Matthes.
Cook said SOMO will not break ground until they have completely raised the $12.5 million needed to construct the facility, which they hope to have in 2016. Once the funds are raised, a construction timeline will be set.
View SOMO Training for Life Campus documents here.
Correction: This article has been corrected to reflect that Land Investments is owned by Bud Farmer, Mike Farmer and Frank Twehous. An earlier version incorrectly reported who comprised the ownership.