With riverfront access currently in the works, the Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce is looking forward to two other large community projects in 2019 - the redevelopment of 32 acres of the Missouri State Penitentiary and creation of the port.
The Chamber of Commerce held its 126th gala Friday night at the Capitol Plaza Hotel on West McCarty Street.
Incoming chamber Board of Directors Chairman David Minton said the chamber wants to continue working on the port project. The main priorities will be creating a target plan on how to attract businesses to the port and securing funding for the project, he added.
The Missouri Department of Transportation approved the creation of the Heartland Port Authority in September.
After the authority failed to receive a $750,000 federal grant in December, its board of commissioners agreed earlier this month to apply for a Missouri Department of Agriculture grant.
The authority is considering two potential sites for the port. One proposal would build a port on 116 acres of state-owned land on the south side of the Missouri River next to the Missouri National Guard Ike Skelton Training Facility. A second proposal would split the port between the southern site in Cole County and a nearby 23-acre site on the north side of the river in Callaway County.
Both plans would cost at least $54.77 million, according to a chamber-commissioned feasibility study.
The feasibility study stated 115,200 tons of goods could flow through the port per year by its 25th year in operation.
Along with this, the chamber also plans to work with the city and other entities to redevelop nearly 32 acres of the Missouri State Penitentiary.
Jefferson City took possession of 31.28 acres of the prison in August 2018 after former Gov. Eric Greitens conveyed the land to the city in July 2017. Possible uses of the land include hotels, entertainment venues, convention centers, restaurants, retail establishments and green space.
"Both of these projects are game-changers and would have a profound impact on the community, and we are really, really looking forward to it," Minton said.
Outgoing chamber Board of Directors Chairman Bill Plank said 2018 was going to be a year the chamber built "figurative and literal bridges," adding the riverfront access ad hoc committee succeeded in that goal by securing funds for the Bicentennial Bridge to Adrian's Island.
Local leaders hope to create riverfront access by the fall of 2020 by building a 826-foot bridge leading down to Adrian's Island - 30 acres of forest and wetland that lie between the Missouri River and Union Pacific Railroad tracks that stretches about 1 mile, from the Missouri State Capitol to the former Missouri State Penitentiary.
In November, the committee announced it raised $3.7 million of the estimated $4 million needed to construct the bridge. The funds are from private donors, with about $3.2 million of that coming from resident B.J. DeLong.
Chamber President Randy Allen presented DeLong with a ceremonial hard hat that had the Bicentennial Bridge logo and her name on it, adding she helped "make access to Adrian's Island a reality - not five years from now (or) 10 years. Now."
While business leaders looked toward several projects in 2019, others won awards for their contributions to the community.
Nathan Hays received this year's Chairman's Award, which honors a member who provides excellent volunteer service to the Chamber of Commerce over the past year. Hays works for the Jefferson City Authoplex and has volunteers on several chamber boards including the Board of Directors, along with the chamber's "Shop Local" and "Retail Attraction" committees.
The Chamber Meritorious Civic Service Award honors someone who has gone the extra mile when serving the community. This year's award recipient was Lori Massman, who has served as the employee services community development manager for Scholastic for more than 30 years. She also served as the United Way Campaign co-chair and is currently on the Jefferson City Public Schools Board of Education.
Holly Nunn received the Fast Forward Award, which goes to a young person who is making a difference in Jefferson City. Nunn works as the retail banking project and operations manager at Central Bancompany and serves on the Capital Arts Board of Directors. She has also volunteered with the chamber, Missouri Valley Big Brothers Big Sisters and the United Way of Central Missouri.
The annual William W. Quigg Award goes to someone who has shown lifelong leadership and dedication to the community. Plank said Nancy Gratz is someone who "makes a lasting impact anywhere she goes," and when Gratz accepted her award, tears of joy were in her eyes.
Working with Gratz Real Estate and Auctioneering, Gratz served in various forms on the chamber's Board of Directors and has volunteered on several community boards for entities like the Jefferson City Board of Realtors, Rape and Abuse Crisis Service and Boys & Girls Club.