TOWN AND COUNTRY, Mo. — Maryville University on Friday launched plans to expand its campus by transforming an aging Town and Country shopping center into a multi-use facility with an esports arena, a dormitory and retail.
The plans, which are still in the conceptual phase, still have to be approved by the city of Town and Country, where the private university and the development are both located. The project would be anchored by a 3,000-seat multipurpose arena that would be built at the current 11.5-acre site of Woods Mill Center, the shopping center at 14302 South Outer Forty Road, along the intersection of Highway 141 and Interstate 64. The university campus is about 1.4 miles from the site, or a five-minute drive.
The new athletic complex would house the university’s esports program that has gained national recognition, along with other sports and activities, including Maryville's men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball and wrestling. The more traditional sports would gain 800 to 1,000 seats for games and matches compared to their current facilities located on the university's main campus, while the esports program would build on its capability to broadcast its competitions around the world, said Maryville President Mark Lombardi.
The project is also slated to include a five-story residence hall that would house 400 students above 6,000 square feet of retail that would be open to the community. Most of the 1,300 parking spaces needed for the project would be inside a parking garage. The site would also have outdoor plazas, walking trails and bike paths for students and the community.
Read the full story on the St. Louis Business Journal website.
