Springfield broke into the top ten of America’s Best Places to Live and Work, as determined by Employment Review. Springfield’s "thriving economy, first rate education and superior health care" put it at number nine on the list. "It may have one of the most common city names in America, but Springfield. . . is a well-kept secret just waiting to be discovered," the review stated. Also considered were unemployment rate, projected job growth and cost of living.The group also called Springfield "the cultural center of the Ozarks." It concludes, "Although it is not as big as other cities on this list, Springfield manages to hold its own."  With the growth in jobs comes growth in shopping centers Ron Stenger is a local commercial developer and home builder with a new shopping center off James River Freeway.