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City of Lake Ozark Awarded $300,000 Community Development Block Grant for Demolition Project: Lake Ozark, MO — The City of Lake Ozark has been named the recipient of a $300,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) from the Missouri Department of Economic Development to support a $433,030 building demolition project focused on improving safety and redevelopment opportunities in the Bagnell Dam Strip area. The remaining $133,030 required to complete the project will be provided to the City by the property owner, Reese Development. As a result of the grant award, 23 structures on and around the historic Bagnell Dam Strip will be demolished. All properties included in the project are owned by Reese Development. Among the structures slated for demolition is the former Shoreland Motel located on the Bagnell Dam Strip. Additional buildings included in the project consist of a series of residential and commercial structures located along Carls Drive, Ballenger Road, Thornsberry Road, Beach Drive, and School Road. These structures were determined eligible for CDBG funding due to their advanced state of blight and lack of structural safety, in accordance with adopted building codes. Several of the buildings contain asbestos and other environmental contaminants, and all have been formally certified by the City as dangerous buildings. Buildings were prioritized based on safety concerns, structural deterioration, and overall risk to the public. To qualify for the grant, each structure was required to have been vacant for an extended period of time. Demolition work associated with this project is expected to commence in 2026. “We are proud to partner with the City of Lake Ozark and the Missouri Department of Economic Development to continue the momentum of the last two years on the historic Bagnell Dam Strip,” stated Peter Colovos, Chief Operating Officer of Reese Development. “Brick by brick and block by block we are committed to redeveloping this jewel of the Midwest,” he added. Reese Development has invested more than $600,000 over the last two years in cleaning up the Strip and demolishing dilapidated structures. City Administrator Harrison Fry expressed appreciation for the state’s support:“We are grateful to the State of Missouri for recognizing the opportunity to breathe new life into the Bagnell Dam Strip corridor. This project begins by removing long-standing, dilapidated structures so that safe, meaningful redevelopment can move forward. I would also like to thank Reese Development for their cooperation and commitment to property revitalization, as well as grant writer Tonya Raines for preparing a successful application that made this project possible.” For more information, please contact the City of Lake Ozark.

TEST TW WEATHER

Major news for Highway 54 interchange

 A major milestone on a two-year project will occur next week. The opening of the Lake of the Ozarks new interchange will take place in time for the annual increase in traffic headed to the area.

As part of the Missouri Department of Transportation’s ongoing effort to bring improvements and increase the safety for the traveling public, contractors are scheduled to remove traffic signals at the intersection of U.S. Route 54, Business Route 54, Miller County Route W, and Osage Hills Road. The removal of those signals will coincide with the opening of the new multi-million-dollar interchange that will tie in those roads with Route 54 in a more efficient manner.

“This is a tremendous next step in the process of constructing the new interchange”, said Central Area Engineer Robert Lynch. “When the signals at the intersection are removed and the new interchange is opened, traffic will be able to flow more freely and safely through that area. We’re excited to reach this landmark moment in the project.”

Lynch advises that once the signals are removed, traffic from Route W, Osage Hills Road and Business Route 54 will no longer be able to access Route 54 at the existing signal location and will be required to use the new interchange.

The deactivation and removal of the signals is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, April 21. The removal of the signal and existing pavement will require eastbound and westbound lane closures on Route 54 through Friday, April 23. Motorists are advised to proceed through the area with caution.

Construction on the new interchange began in February of 2020. The new interchange is designed to increase traffic safety and improve traffic flow in an area where numerous traffic accidents have occurred. In addition to the new interchange, the project involves building several new connecting roads and three roundabouts in the same area.