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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.

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Posted on , by harrison

Mitchem Appointed City Administrator

At the October 26, 2021 City of Lake Ozark Board of Aldermen meeting, Mr. David Mitchem was appointed to serve as Lake Ozark’s next City Administrator.  The Board’s unanimous support comes after a months-long hiring process that attracted qualified candidates from around the nation, an interview process overseen by local residents and business leaders, and the opportunity to meet with the Board to discuss his role with the city moving forward.

 

Mr.  Mitchem comes to Lake Ozark with a strong resume showing a history of success in the private and public sectors, as well as educational experiences that will serve him well in Lake Ozark.  Having received a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Business Administration from Lincoln University, as well as a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Missouri at Columbia, Mitchem has spent much of his career working for and leading state agencies.  He served as the Director of the Colorado Division of Labor, the Deputy Director and Chief Operations Officer for the Missouri Department of Economic Development, and was the Executive Director for the Missouri Training and Employment Council.

 

He also brings prior experience in local government with him to Lake Ozark.  He worked as Pagosa Springs, Colorado’s Town Manager for several years, where he was able to guide the tourist community through the construction of a $6.8 million infrastructure expansion project. In his tenure with the community, Pagosa Springs saw a growth in tourism and attracted a diverse group of new businesses to invest locally.

 

About Lake Ozark’s future with Mitchem at the table, Mayor Dennis Newberry says, “The City of Lake Ozark is in a very fortunate economic position.  Post-COVID, our revenues are at an all-time high, and we will continue with this momentum.  With David Mitchem on board as our new City Administrator, and Harrison Fry continuing as our Assistant City Administrator, I am confident their collaboration will harness this momentum into achieving much needed infrastructure improvements and help guide us confidently into the future.”

 

When asked about his future as City Administrator, Mitchem offers, “I am looking forward to working in partnership with the talented team at Lake Ozark.  Given the strong Board of Aldermen and skilled staff, the next few years will be exciting and productive.”

 

David Mitchem will begin his service to the City of Lake Ozark on November 15.