City seeking developer for potential sports complex at Missouri Western site

By Cameron Montemayor

St. Joseph is taking the next steps toward potential development of a large sports complex in St. Joseph, with city documents now identifying a sole location for the facility.

City officials are now deep into the process of identifying a potential developer by advertising for requests for qualifications for potential candidates, a key next phase in the project with many moving parts.

“The city is looking for an outside interest that has the capability and the experience of managing these types of facilities,” said Clint Thompson, St. Joseph interim city manager. “This particular project … It’s a priority that we feel as a community will help become a amenity that currently does not exist.”

The complex could include facilities for sports like volleyball, basketball, baseball and softball and is now expected to be located solely on the property owned by Missouri Western State University, according to an addendum made to the city’s RFQ document.

The East Hills Shopping Center has now been removed as a potential location along with plans for a aquatic facility tied to the complex. The city had previously been negotiating agreements with MWSU and Steven Craig, owner of the East Hills Shopping Center, to determine the feasibility of having the complex split in two locations, with the indoor component located at the shopping center and the outdoor facility on the university campus.

“Both indoor and outdoor facilities are now expected to be solely on the property owned by Missouri Western State University,” the document reads.

The city has established a Sept. 27 deadline at this time for the RFQ process, an ongoing phase that began in late August and was announced in early September.

Thompson said the hope is to have a developer identified and selected by the end of the calendar year if they receive qualified proposals.

“Once that deadline is arrived, we will be able to work with council to identify any potential candidates for interview and then move forward,” Thompson said.

While subject to changes, early estimates show the project could cost anywhere from $84 million to $105 million. The plan at this time is to use general obligation bonds to finance a large portion of the project, which would require voter approval.

A GO bond is secured by an issuing government’s pledge to use all available resources — even tax revenues — to repay holders of the bond. In most cases, the bonds are repaid over 20 years, though some may have terms of five, seven or 10 years.

The first opportunity to put a GO bond measure before voters would be April of 2025. However, the city is working closely with the St. Joseph School District to monitor if they intend to put their own measure before voters next April, likely pushing a city GO bond question to another election as a result.

“The sports project is important, but it’s just one aspect to the total overall concept that we’re working to move the community forward. And so the school district has the highest priority in support of the city,” Thompson said.

If that scenario unfolds, the city will pursue putting a measure on the ballot in February, August or November of 2026 when a lower vote threshold is needed.

“Best case scenario, a successful ballot approval in April. And then you would see the city then move forward with building out the work, working with the developer so you could potentially have some type of project occurring, maybe as far as construction late in 2025. If not, then you push that forward a year,” he said.