Tindle Mills Property Donated to Drury University

The private university has had Tindle Mills in its long-range plan for a few years. The property involved is between Drury and Ozarks Technical Community College, roughly the area bounded by Chestnut St., Porter St., Central St. and Summit St.

As outlined in the news release below, a portion of the 8.1 acre property will be used for the Ozarks Greenway trail to connect Silver Spring Park and Jordan Valley Park, with public parking for those using the trail.

NEWS: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Agreement with ADM Alliance Nutrition Brings Tindle Mills Property to Drury, Includes New Center-City Greenway

SPRINGFIELD, Mo., July 11, 2005 — Drury University and ADM Alliance Nutrition, Inc. are pleased to announce a joint arrangement. This arrangement will extend the current Ozark Greenway trail south from Silver Springs Park, through the Tindle Mills property at 1300 W. Chestnut and nearly to Jordan Valley Park. Over the next five years, Drury plans to provide additional recreational green space and parking for users of the trail system.

To accomplish this project, ADM Alliance Nutrition, which owns Tindle Mills, will donate the 8.1 acres of land and the entire facility to Drury University. This donation will take place in two phases. At the same time, ADM Alliance Nutrition will renovate and modernize its plant located on Division Street at the Southwest Missouri Stockyards to accommodate its growing customer base.

“We are very pleased to make this donation to help ensure that Drury, ADM Alliance Nutrition, Ozark Greenways and the City of Springfield can recognize their common goal of enhancing this wonderful community” said Terry Myers, Vice President and General Manager of ADM Alliance Nutrition, Inc. “The Tindle Mills facility has supplied product to this agricultural community for over 100 years. The renovation of our facility at Division Street will allow us to maintain a strong presence in this important distribution market, providing a full line of products to customers in the central U.S.”

“The expansion of this urban greenway represents another major milestone in the development of Springfield’s center city. The walking and biking trail is a wonderful opportunity to promote wellness in our community for our students and neighborhood residents,” said John Sellars, Ph.D., president of Drury University. “We look forward to the day when this will extend south to the Jordan Valley Park and downtown. We also appreciate the ability to expand the Drury campus in ways that will benefit the larger community.”

My guess is Drury will turn the area along Central into a parking lot to replace the current lot at the corner of Washington (Drury Lane) and Central. That lot is the site slated for a new school of business administration building. OTC needs additional parking, also.

I hope Drury will keep the stone wall which faces Central. There are so few well-preserved examples of Springfield's architectural history. It would be nice to have tangible visual links to Springfield's past other than posted signs or photographs hanging in a new building.