There are a lot of exciting changes and preparations occurring – both visible and behind the scenes – at Ozarks Tech for the start of construction and the groundbreaking ceremony event planned for the Center for Workforce and Student Success.
Most notable is for those traveling Chestnut Expressway to campus, the double turn lanes on Sherman Avenue into the campus have now been reduced to one lane. Also, parking directly in front of the Information Commons building is permanently closed and the project contractor, DeWitt & Associates, has removed the lot’s asphalt and leveled the area to prepare for the start of construction. Prior to this phase of the project, the college has paid particular attention to parking. Lot K by the Early Childhood Center saw the addition of 27 new spaces last year. Before the start of this fall semester, Lot O located at Hampton Avenue and Pythian Street opened with 246 new spaces. These changes help ensure there is ample free parking on campus and have resulted in more parking than before the start of construction.
Departments across the campus also are collaborating on details for the groundbreaking ceremony to help mark this momentous new building and all it will mean for Ozarks Tech and our students. The Center for Workforce and Student Success marks the completion of the college’s master plan and Ozarks Tech wants to celebrate this with the community, students, faculty and staff. This event is being designed as an opportunity to highlight the various offerings this three-story, 100,000-square-foot building will provide to promote student engagement. It will also recognize the efforts and support of the community and legislators who helped make the building a reality. Lastly, the event will be used to officially announce the naming of the new center.
The community is invited to attend the groundbreaking ceremony at 10 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 26. The event is scheduled for the south parking lot in front of the Norman K. Myers Building.
“The Center for Workforce and Student Success is a historic addition to our campus, we look forward to how this building will be central to our student experience and the Springfield community,” said Ozarks Tech Chancellor Dr. Hal Higdon. “The groundbreaking ceremony is an opportunity to celebrate the creation of a space where students can network, socialize, exercise and study together as they pursue their education and begin their careers in the region.”
The Ozarks Tech Center for Workforce and Student Success is set to formally open in fall 2026. To follow the construction progress, visit otc.edu/studentcenter.
