Springfield, Missouri Development News

Springfield Explores 'Missing Middle' Housing Pilot Project to Address Affordability Gap and Increase Density

The council received an update on Springfield's 'missing middle' housing initiative, focusing on a pilot project utilizing surplus city properties. The initiative aims to increase housing density in appropriate areas through various housing types like duplexes, triplexes, and accessory dwelling units (ADUs). A key challenge identified is the financial gap between construction costs ($155,000-$175,000 per square foot for new builds) and the average home price in target neighborhoods (around $88,000), making projects financially unviable without subsidies. The city is exploring solutions such as an infrastructure investment fund, a housing and land bank trust fund, and potentially offering city-owned land as an incentive. Stakeholder input from developers, builders, architects, and community members has been crucial in shaping the strategy, emphasizing the need for projects that are appropriate in scale, style, and offer a mix of ownership and rental options. The pilot project is proposed for three lots in the Heart of the West Side neighborhood, identified as an area in need of reinvestment. Future steps include rezoning the property to RMX1, neighborhood meetings, and potentially a request for applications from interested developers. The discussion also touched upon the broader need to increase multifamily housing to address affordability and unit shortages city-wide.