This article is a follow-up to an article published in February of 2021 called “Three local Parks included in $68 million proposed DNR projects”.
The Missouri legislature approved a $60 million revenue bond last year. The bonds were sold on Oct. 19, according to Missouri State Parks Deputy Director Laura Hendrickson. The approved plan also included a projected $8 million in funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund and Recreational Trails Program — $2 million per year over the course of four years.
The proposal included 28 bond-funded projects at 22 parks across the state. A revenue bond is issued to fund public projects that ultimately repays investors from the income created by a given project. “It’s a unique opportunity,” said Hendrickson about the revenue bonding process that allows Missouri State Parks to get these projects done much sooner than a capital improvement request ever could, especially considering the size of some of the projects.
The largest project included in the bond proposal is at Current River State Park, where $9.9 million is ear-marked to build adequate electric, water and sewer service for six new full-service, two-bedroom cabins by the lake and to rehabilitate the existing 12-room lodge that was formerly the Alton Box Co. corporate retreat. Renovations would include replacing the dormitory wing, upgrading the kitchen and dining areas and making some structural repairs.
Throughout the past several years, state park visitors requested additional campsites and increased campsite amenities like 50 AMP electric, sewer and water hookups, according to a Summary of Projects by Missouri State Parks.
Some other examples of projects funded through the bond are at Echo Bluff, where $3 million is proposed for building six new cabins; Montauk State Park, where $2.1 million could create a new campground loop with 32 sites and a new shower house; and at Johnson Shut-ins, where $3.6 million will build new cabins.
“All of these projects are projected to create revenue,” said Hendrickson. Ultimately, that revenue is intended to cover the cost of the renovations.
“How we’ve structured all of our projects in this proposal is that they have to carry their own weight and pay for themselves over time or else we wouldn’t have included them,” Mike Sutherland (who was at that time Missouri State Parks director) told The Salem News in 2021.
Each of the above-mentioned projects is currently entering the design phase; however, it will still be some time before those projects break ground.
“It’s an exciting step forward, but it’s not an overnight process,” said Hendrickson, referencing the five-year process.
“We want to be really careful that we do this right,” said Hendrickson. She said that, for Missouri State Parks, it’s all about the longevity and sustainability of managing the state’s resources for generations to come.
“We believe these projects will have great impacts on the state parks and great opportunities for the projects to pay for themselves,” she said.
