March 17, 2026
Agreement will allow CFO to acquire land at 425 E. Trafficway
Pending the approval of City Council, the Community Foundation of the Ozarks and the City of Springfield have agreed to establish an endowment designated for improvements to Downtown Springfield in exchange for a half-acre of property.
The agreement, which will be first considered by Council at its March 23 meeting, outlines the terms of the transfer of land at 425 E. Trafficway, the location of CFO’s former headquarters, from the City to the CFO. The Springfield Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended approval of the transfer at its Feb. 26 meeting.
To acquire the property, the CFO will transfer $510,000 of its unrestricted assets into the endowment over five years. The permanent fund will be held and managed by the CFO. Once fully funded, the endowment will provide more than $20,000 every year for perpetuity, with the amount increasing over time. The City will direct distributions from the fund, which must be used for improvements and revitalization of Downtown Springfield.
In exchange for the transfer of land where the CFO’s former headquarters sits, the CFO and the City of Springfield will establish an endowment to support improvements and revitalization in Downtown Springfield.
In August 2025, the CFO moved its headquarters to 300 South Jefferson. However, the CFO continues to own the building at 425 E. Trafficway and hold a long-term lease on the City-owned parcel. Upon taking full ownership, the CFO plans to list the property with R.B. Murray.
“For more than 35 years, the Community Foundation of the Ozarks has called Downtown Springfield home,” said Winter Kinne, president and CEO of the CFO. “We are committed to the long-term development of the district and are grateful for this partnership with the City of Springfield.”
“This property has long been part of collaborative efforts to support economic development and strengthen Springfield’s center city,” said Amanda Ohlensehlen, director of Workforce and Economic Vitality for the City. “This purchase agreement and endowment represent a creative approach to continuing the revitalization and economic vitality of Downtown Springfield.”
