City of Maryville asking Northwest Missouri State for more access to the university's Hughes Fieldhouse

The Maryville city council hears about a recent meeting involving the city manager and a Northwest Missouri State vice president about the city getting more access to the university's Hughes Fieldhouse.

City manager Ryan Heiland reported at Monday's council meeting (September 28) about his meeting with Northwest's new vice president of student affairs Bruce Skinner.

Click the LISTEN button to hear Ryan Heiland's comments during the September 28, 2026 Maryville city council meeting.

Heiland said "I do firmly believe the community is getting its value" in the current contract.

The city manager also said Northwest is a "willing and open partner" as the city wants to schedule events to increase tourist activity.

Heiland's goal is "a year from now or two years from now that we (the city) can go and say we have this block of dates that we can work with and secure some kind of event, whether it's a trade show or a gun show or something like that that's appropriate for this area."

It's been eight years since the council approved what Northwest officials say was the biggest public-private partnership in the university's history.

The present agreement has the city giving $150,000 dollars a year in motel/hotel tax money towards the $21 million dollar multipurpose facility.