Boone County Family Resources eyeing MBS-owned land on Ash Street

Boone County Family Resources is hoping to build a new office on Ash Street, but first needs approval to rezone the land.

MBS Realty Partners, a group associated with MBS Textbook Exchange, initially bought the land thinking the textbook distributor would expand across the street from its current building at 2711 W. Ash St.

Instead MBS Realty Partners plans to sell the 2.44-acre plot to Boone County. The sale is contingent on zoning approval from the city. Both parties have signed the sale agreement.

The land cost the county $600,000.

When MBS bought the land it was approved for a 27,000-square-foot building.

Boone County Family Resources is looking to build a 37,000-square-foot building and is asking for an amendment to the original development plan for the site.

Columbia Development Services Manager Pat Zenner said Boone County Family Resources is cramped in its current building on East Walnut Street in downtown Columbia.

Zenner said the plans call for a two-story office building with a basement, matching the height of buildings around the plot, not to exceed 60 feet tall.

The amendment request also said it will have 154 parking spaces.

Zenner said Boone County Family Resources is expected to only use a portion of the building to begin with, and then expand as needed to the third level.

The proposed plan “incorporates Boone County Family Resources’ current and future needs with a 10-year growth plan,” the requested amendment says. “As their services expand they are consistently outgrowing their existing facilities and this site allows for the consolidation of their operations, growth and parking.”

“We’ve been outgrowing this current space for a while so we’ve been planning for this and saving for this new building,” said Robyn Kaufman, Boone County Family Recources Executive Director.

She said up to 3 employees have been sharing one office because of the lack of space.

Kaufman said the agency has saved $4 million over time from taxes, Medicaid payments and payments from the Missouri Department of Mental Health.

There is no price estimate for the new building yet

The Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. Thursday during its meeting.

The commission will either send a recommendation of approval or disapproval to the Columbia City Council after Thursday night’s meeting.

The city council will likely vote by a November meeting.

The wooded land was first annexed into city limits in 1955.