The money has been allocated. The design is complete. Next up, for the long-awaited Mayfield Entrepreneurial Center in Marble Hill, which will include a remodeled third floor at the county library — former location of what was previously Mayfield College — is to get busy with finishing the work in the 5,000 square feet of space.

“We’re going to start developing the programs we’re going to have at the EC,” said Stan Crader, who serves on the five-member MEC board. “The real key is that we want to drive economic growth in the area by helping entrepreneurs launch businesses. We have a lot of entrepreneurial activity

The goal of the project is the help those with business ideas to see those ideas and potential succeed, according to Ed Crowley, another board member, who is an assistant professor of management at Southeast Missouri State University.

“We want to throw some gas on that fire and drive that growth,” noted Crowley.

The improvement to the third floor of the library will be a three-pronged approach, Crowley noted.

There will be educational opportunities, which include guidance, resources and training.

It comes down to assistance with building a successful business, according to Crowley.

“Things to help with growing a business,” Crowley said.

This will include getting the proper infrastructure in place. Eventually, the improvements and redesign will provide both temporary and hourly access to offices. The infrastructure improvements, along with high-speed internet, is viewed as a way to help entrepreneurs — those who are experienced as well as those just starting out on their own.

“It’s a really great facility,” Crowley said. “I’m really excited to see this become a reality.”

“Ed and I became acquainted when I’d speak to his business school students regarding the Stihl story and aspects of a family business,” Crader said. “During our off-subject conversations, Ed mentioned his dream/goal/notion of an entrepreneurial center in Marble Hill. His initial driving force, I believe, was when he realized many of his students didn’t have WiFi available at home and would drive to town and find a hotspot, usually McDonald’s. (This is) a need.”

Crader suggested a few buildings in town he thought suited for such a center, though he had never seen the Will Mayfield building. “Once Ed saw the third floor of the Mayfield, the search for a suitable location was settled,” Crader said.

One hurdle to the project ever getting going was who would to be responsible for the project’s funding.

“The project then took on an additional purpose — completing the renovation of one of Bollinger County’s most historic treasures, the Will Mayfield College building,” Crader noted.

Once the library board was agreeable to the project, the endeavor to secure funding began, which first required a plan, to ascertain the cost. Phil Penzil of Penzel Construction in Jackson recommended and assisted with securing TreanorHL, a firm with renown for restoring historic structures throughout the country.

TreanorHL’s team studied the building and with the purpose for the space in mind, began the design phase. Once a preliminary design was prepared, the project cost was determined.

“The timing of the planning phase was providential, according to Crader. “As the Bollinger County Lincoln Days was held about the time the design was coming together, several of the politicians in attendance, congressman Jason Smith, Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick, state Sen. Holly Rehder, state Rep. Rick Francis and others took the time visiting the third floor, which is how we refer to the space being renovated.

“They all played an essential role in the funding phase,” Crader said.

Crowler and Crader made a special trip to the Capitol in Jefferson City. Rehder and Francis had made arrangements for them to meet with chairs of the budget committee for both the Missouri House and Senate.

“Having the schematics and a detailed budget for the cost of the project put us ahead of most asking for project funding,” Crader said. “When Lieutenant Governor (Mike) Kehoe and Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick, having seen the space and familiar with the project, spoke highly of the project to both budget chairs, we felt very confident,” Crader said.

Gov. Parson had the final say, and all of the politicians went to bat for Bollinger County, Crader said.

“It’s big for our region,” Crowley noted. “Work is underway. It is progressing.”

Completion for the Mayfield Entrepreneurial Center is expected by September 2025.

“The renovation isn’t being modeled after anything and is completely new design that accommodates an entrepreneurial cultural rather than a college classroom,” Crader said. Many of the building’s original features — doors, door frames, shelving, windows, etc. — are being incorporated in the new design.

Bollinger County Librarian Evan Dunn said the Art and Science building of the College is on the National Register for Architecture and Education.

At this time, most of the work is demolition and retaining trim, doors, lighting, etc. and items that will be refurbished to keep the nature of some of the features of the building, Dunn said. “The third floor has been vacant other than storage and one museum workroom since the school closed,” Dunn said.

One of the reasons for this is that the third floor had the most damage from a roof that leaked for a number of years, Dunn said. “It has to be completely gutted and refurbished,” Dunn said.

“The historical nature, a liberal arts college, is of interest,” Crader said. “The building was one of the first projects of then newly formed Penzel Construction, nearly 100 years ago.”

As far back as 2004, plans were made to rework the third floor.

“Plans are in the works to rehabilitate the third floor and install an elevator on the rear facade,” according to the 17-page application for National Register of Historic Places. “The conversion of the building to a museum, extends the life of this significant building and continues its original purpose to provide educational opportunities to the residents of Bollinger County and Southeast Missouri."

John Engelhart, president of the El Nathan Home Board of Directors, was described as the owner in 2004 for the building, which originally was the Will Mayfield College’s Arts and Sciences Building.

Designed in 1924 by L. Taylor Pendleton, a St. Louis based architect, the Classical Revival Style Building was completed and opened for classes in 1927. The building retains a high degree of integrity, and relatively few changes have occurred to the structure, according to the 2004 application. The only noticeable exterior change at that time was the removal of two windows on the east facade to accommodate a garage door.

The first floor was for a natural history museum while the second floor was “entirely intact and the large library space, with its decorative plasterwork, has been restored as a large museum display area.” The third floor, in 2004, was described as “deteriorated but intact.”

The rectangular building, which is 90 feet, two inches long by 53 feet, four inches wide, was still being used by El Nathan two decades ago. The organization maintained the Arts and Science Building but “has been unable to use it for its root. Except for a brief stint as housing Laotian refugees, the building remained empty from 1934-2001.

In 2001, the Will Mayfield Foundation and offshoot Bollinger County Museum of Natural History began to convert the building for use as a museum.

The $2,091,320 project is being funded via Missouri Technology Corp. and the Department of Economic Development.