New Community Welcome Center at Columbia’s Agriculture Park recognizes local foundation for major donation.
Dedication of the Community Welcome Center at Columbia’s Agriculture Park is planned for August 26th at 4:00 p.m. This ceremony will feature city and county representatives, major donors to the project, and the private non-profit partners. The Chamber of Commerce will be there for the formal ribbon cutting, and tours of the new space will be offered immediately afterward.
The project has received a $500,000 donation from the David B. Lichtenstein Foundation to help support the new building. The Foundation will be recognized with signage on the east and west exteriors, as well as inside the main entrance vestibule.
Davida and Ron Bodenstab at the August 2025 “Beam Signing” for the Community Welcome Center
The David B. Lichtenstein Foundation was founded in 1947 by brothers David and Phillip Lichtenstein in St. Louis, MO. The foundation supports a range of projects, primarily in St. Louis and Columbia, MO. Third generation family member (granddaughter of David Sr.), Davida Bodenstab, now chairs the Foundation and resides in Columbia, MO.
“We love the work that Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture and Columbia Farmers Market are doing in our region. It is an impressive model of education, health, and economic development. We couldn't be more excited to see this building come to life and we are eager to see how the space serves the community in the seasons ahead.” Davida Bodenstab, Chair of the David B. Lichtenstein Foundation.
Davida worked as a nurse for her career and thus the health promotion programming and activities in the park are of particular interest. “This park weaves together food (Ag Park), fitness (the ARC), and public gatherings in a cohesive way. This should be a model for other communities to learn from and replicate.” Davida Bodenstab
“We are grateful for the support of the David B. Lichtenstein Foundation. This donation has been a major part of the last stretch of this capital campaign,” said Adam Saunders, Campaign Director of Build This Town. “The Community Welcome Center will be a hub for food, learning, and community building for decades to come. It will bring a significant boost to the capacity of the local and regional food system.”
The ‘Build This Town: Campaign for Columbia’s Agriculture Park’ is a public-private-partnership that started in 2015 to plan, fundraise, and develop 10 open acres within the 20 acre Clay-Shy Community Park. Over the last 11 years the effort has raised nearly $13 million to fund the development of the Agriculture Park. A full list of the project’s donors can be found at: https://buildthistown.org/campaign-donors Nearly 55% of these dollars have come from private donors, including some major private gifts from the David B. Liechtenstein Foundation, MU Health Care, and Dr. Karen Edison & Dr. David Fleming. The remaining 45% has been from a mix of city, county, state, and federal sources, including major contributions from the County’s ARPA fund, the Missouri Department of Economic Development state tax credits, and federal funds from the Economic Development Authority. The City of Columbia holds the land and the long term responsibility for the infrastructure.
“This is a successful example of a public-private-partnership” said director of Columbia Parks & Recreation Gabe Huffington. “We’re beyond pleased to see how the community and all the partners have come together to bring this park master plan to life.”
The Community Welcome Center features a commercial teaching kitchen, a resource lending library, and an activity hall for classes and events. The building also has office space for Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture and Columbia Farmers Market staff. The Community Welcome Center is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and Saturdays 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. during the Farmers Market all year round.
For more information about this donation, the Community Welcome Center, and the Public-private-partnership contact Adam Saunders at 573-356-9392 or Adam@ColumbiaUrbanAg.org.