St. Joseph, Mo. - The Board of Governors at Missouri Western State University has approved the selection of Ellison-Auxier LLC to provide architectural and design services on the Spratt Stadium project.

Jeff Ellison of Ellison-Auxier provided some preliminary conceptual drawings and layouts for fundraising efforts and the public announcement of the plan to make approximately $7.8 million in improvements to Spratt Stadium, including the construction of a new concourse, concessions are, restrooms, club level (including suites) and press box on the home side.

In moving beyond the preliminary phase, board policy requires that the university issue a Request for Qualifications on projects over $1 million. Five architectural firms responded to the RFQ, which was issued Dec. 1. A selection committee comprised of two governing board members and six university administrators reviewed the proposals and voted 8-0 to recommend Ellison-Auxier based on:

·         Prior experience working with similarly sized institutions.
·         Significant prior experience with building design on Missouri Western's campus and with all aspects of the university's facilities, grounds and fiscal constraints.
·         Direct experience with similarly sized stadium renovation projects, in particular Northwest Missouri State University's football stadium renovation.
Ellison-Auxier can now move forward to finalize design plans and prepare bid specifications.

Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visitwww.missouriwestern.edu.