CON V ERGING CA MPUS & COMMUNIT Y
NORTHWEST MISSOURIAN THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 2023
MARYVILLE, MISSOURI
NWMISSOURINEWS.COM
VOL. 112, NO. 1
@THEMISSOURIAN
GRAPHIC BY JULIANNA LAWRENCE ASST. DESIGN EDITOR
Demolition, renovations continue SIDNEY LOWRY Editor-in-Chief | @sidney_lowry
O
range cones were not a rare sight around campus this summer and fall as Northwest continues to work on its Residential Facility Plan with renovations and building demolition. This plan outlines the teardown of two buildings and the renovation of 10 residential halls over the next seven fiscal years. The facility plan has created a way to right-size housing on campus and make necessary upgrades to residential halls. First on the list was Phillips Hall, a residential building that has sat vacant since 2014.
The demolition of the hall started May 22 and was completely torn down by mid-July. Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs: Residential and Auxiliary Services Rose Viau said the process went along smoothly and the companies the University worked with for the demolition stayed on time. “Our capital facilities people have really been running the projects really well,” she said. “So they do a lot of the day to day, making sure things are going right.” During the teardown of Phillips, many community members, students and alumni came to watch the leveling of the hall they previously lived or worked in — many wanting a memento to remember that time. “In all the social media groups, people have
been taking pictures and posting it everywhere and commenting on their experiences and adventures that they had in those halls, which is kind of fun to read all their stories,” Viau said. Viau said they considered selling pieces of brick from the buildings, but the process of cleaning the bricks and making sure they were ready to sell to the public was too complicated. Instead, the University will be selling the front of the student mailboxes from the building along with the key. “We’re kind of fundraising off these, probably for Homecoming,” she said. “I’ve seen some people build like a little wooden box and then make it like a little bank.”
SEE RENOVATIONS | A4
Maryville gets grants, concerns expressed HANNAH CLAYWELL News Editor | @Hannah_9504
AARON HARE MISSOURIAN PHOTOGRAPHER
Styles N’ Smiles owner Jennifer Riedel and Downing’s Barber Shop representative Bryan Lemon voice their concerns about the upcoming Pedestrian Alleyway Project to City Council at the Aug. 28 meeting.
City Council updates South Main Corridor Project, approves funds HANNAH CLAYWELL News Editor | @Hannah_9504
Maryville City Council and community members came together at the Aug. 28 meeting to discuss changes, grants and funding. A feasible study for the Maryville Aquatic Center, new body cameras for the Maryville Police Department and the
South Main Corridor improvement Project were all discussed. Director of Maryville Parks and Recreation Jeff Stubblefield discussed an aquatic feasible study for three different concepts for the Maryville Aquatic Center: renovation, an outdoor facility and a potential indoor and outdoor facility. “This isn’t going to happen tomorrow or next year,” Stubblefield said. “We’re getting a
AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1914.
plan in place for the future.” Stubblefield said the study would outline priorities and improvements because of the aging equipment at the aquatic center. It is not expected to exceed $43,700 to do the study. He said the goal is to keep the center open as long as possible. Council approved the study.
SEE COUNCIL | A4
Maryville recently received two grants equaling more than $1 million for a new downtown pedestrian alleyway and the Mozingo Lake Recreation Park’s Visitors Center. Local business owners came to the Aug. 28 Mayville City Council meeting to discuss concerns about the new alleyway. Downtown Pedestrian Alleyway Styles N’ Smiles representative Jennifer Riedel and Downing’s Barber Shop representative Bryan Lemons came to the meeting to discuss parking concerns for the business. City Manager Greg McDanel has been a part of planning this project. The grant for this project was $767,827. The Downtown Pedestrian Alleyway would make a vehicular alley between Main Street and Buchanan Street a pedestrian walkway with benches and murals. Lemon said no one from the city had met with him or other business owners yet to discuss closing the alley and how that would affect parking for the businesses. “We’ve met with Black Pony, we’ve met with Bank Midwest, we’ve met with Kris and Kate’s, we’ve met with (Greg) Fisher, Lock and Glass because those are
the people that are affected by this upcoming project,” McDanel said. McDanel said nobody had talked to Lemon yet because the project would not affect Downing’s Barber Shop because it is a long-term plan. Riedel said her main concern is the lack of parking that would be close to her business. She is concerned about how that would affect her customers’ ability to get to the building safely.
More than
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million in grants for improvements of Maryville “We’ve been told that parking itself is being cut, so what does that mean for customers trying to get into our businesses?” Riedel said. Mayor Tye Parsons said the point of the alleyway is to have more people come downtown and support businesses. He said he does want to work with the business owners when the project is closer to its second phase.
SEE GRANTS | A4
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