The community improvements committee of downtown Springfield's Armoury-Quadrangle Civic Association met last Wednesday evening. Committee chair Carol Costa kindly provided notes (Word doc) from the meeting, where honored guests included Deputy Police Chief William Cochrane as well as Deputy Director of Economic Development Brian Connors, who recently located in Liberty Heights after six years working as economic development director in Lowell.
Cochrane (pictured at left), who reminded those in attendance of how he can be reached (787-6340, wcochrane@springfieldpolice.net), reported that police are seeing improved data collection, have increased patrols, and are working to reduce the non-emergency use of 911. He asked residents to report crime as they see it, become familiar with officers in the neighborhood, and to provide feedback.
Brian Connors, Deputy Director of Economic Development, tours 31 Elm Street last December
Connors presented areas under consideration by the Office of Planning and Economic Development, and then opened the floor for questions and discussion.
Main Street
On Main Street, $2 million toward improvements will include "better and more attractive lighting, safe and attractive sidewalks and crosswalks, trash barrels, street furniture, banners, signs and flowers, and street paving," from the meeting notes.
The project is at the 70 percent design stage. Bids will be accepted in May, a contract awarded in June, and the project will take about 30 weeks for completion.
Apremont Triangle
Connors said the city made an agreement with the owner of the Birnie Building at Apremont Triangle regarding the adjacent parking lot at 33 Pearl Street (pictured), recently up for bid. Use of the lot will be extended to the Birnie Building if the owner can show progress on a plan to locate an urban grocer at that location. Progress on the plan must be demonstrated within six to nine months.
Interior of an 11,000 square foot available space in the Birnie Building
31 Elm Street
The property at 31 Elm Street is a high priority for the city. Requests for proposals (RFPs) will go out by the end of the summer, Connors said, with the city emphasizing mixed-use residential development. City officials have said that requests for qualifications (RFQs) would go out prior to RFPs, in an attempt to take extremely careful steps to assure that any developer for this critical project can show proven, successful experience.
Currently vacant, achingly lovely 31 Elm Street on Court Square
State Street corridor
A consulting firm was selected to develop a State Street corridor plan for commercial and residential potential. Relatedly, the new federal courthouse is on schedule for completion in 2008.
Riverfront flood control
The city has been mandated by the state to remove heavy overgrowth of trees and brush along the riverfront, so will need to locate funds for this. The result, Connors said, will make the riverfront safer and more attractive for development and use.
Overgrowth stymies the view from Riverfront Park, and it's also a safety hazard
Business improvement district
Jeff Keck, executive officer for the downtown Springfield Business Improvement District, spoke about efforts to beautify downtown, including attention to lighting and cleanliness. He said the SBID works closely with city departments and business owners.
Riverwalk and Bikeway
Questions were asked about "needed improvements and further expansion of the bike path, but there was nothing to report," meeting notes state. That's a shame, because the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission needs the input of these downtown residents as well as city officials in its effort to assemble Friends of the Connecticut Riverwalk and Bikeway, a volunteer committee that will make the bikeway "a more vibrant component of Springfield's community character." (Those who are "passionate about increasing use" of the bikeway can contact PVPC organizers Chris Curtis or Andrew Smith at 781-6045.)
Concerns arose that Springfield has not developed a plan for development along the riverfront, East Columbus Avenue, and stretching to Main Street. Some noted that the city may not be doing enough to seek priority developers, which "could result in having to accept the first offers that come along," the notes say. "Connors said that there are staff people currently assigned the task of calling potential developers, and that the city is aware that quality development is essential."
Downtown aesthetics
Some asked about the operation of neighborhood fountains. (The Parks Department is apparently working on repair and restoration.) Other concerns were expressed about the current lack of funding for public art. Still others focused on the need for an aesthetic plan to coordinate the look of downtown storefronts and signage.
Currently closed Pynchon Park, as seen from Chestnut Street, featuring a defunct fountain
"Connors indicated that the Historical Commission would be an important participant in such a design plan," the notes state. "He also cautioned, however, that Springfield should not try to replicate other cities’ designs, but instead should develop guidelines that [both] regulate aesthetics [and] also encourage a look unique to Springfield and various businesses."
Neighborhood vision and participation
Mike Tuckey, president of the AQCA, reviewed the vision for the neighborhood's rebirth, "citing opportunities for new vitality in residential and retail growth. He encouraged the participation of those in attendance and asked them to spread the word about AQCA and to become members," from the notes.
Survey of concerns, priorities
Also during the meeting, a survey was circulated to capture the 22 attendees' top concerns and priorities for the neighborhood. Major concerns are:
Crime (drug use and sales, prostitution) and safety, loitering, homelessness, blight and litter, traffic problems, inadequate lighting, lack of home ownership, vacant buildings, subsidized rentals, absence of participation in cultural events, not enough “family fun,” high auto insurance by ZIP code.
Priorities for new development and improvements are:
Deli, local grocery, coffee shops, cleaners, restaurants, increased access to park areas, former Technical High School development, historic preservation, mid- to high-income properties and amenities to match, shops, open “Spanish Steps,” neighborhood programs with the Armory and Museums/Quadrangle, attractive and effective lighting, development of Apremont Triangle and Temple Street, visible police patrols.
Keep Springfield Beautiful
Like organizations and groups from around the city and the region, downtown residents and other stakeholders will participate in the day-long citywide cleanup on Saturday, April 28 organized by Keep Springfield Beautiful. Downtown, work will carry forward on planting projects, reporting code violations and criminal activity, a neighborhood walk to identify problems and opportunities, and working with city planners and others to discuss development ideas.
For more from the AQCA, including interesting pieces from Tuckey and City Councilor Bruce Stebbins, take a look at its April newsletter (PDF). Or drop in on its next meeting, Thursday, April 19, 7:00 pm at Classical Condominiums on State Street. Maureen Hayes, president of the Springfield Business Development Corporation, and Nicholas Fyntrilakis, MassMutual's director of community relations, will both be present to share an overview and update of the State Street Alliance.
And true enough, the house is technically not in Six Corners. It is in the Metro Center neighborhood according to these imaginary lines we draw. Diagonally across the street (kitty-corner, as they say in Pittsburgh) from 83 Maple is the imaginary line for the South End neighborhood.
I'm still of the opinion that 83 Maple needs an owner and a little publicity, though, and not necessarily a civic association per se. One thing in 83 Maple's favor right now is that it is not scheduled for demolition, nor does it run that risk in the immediate future, as far as I can tell. (I do keep a little housing-conditions crystal ball under my desk for these purposes.)
What might we do to expand people's horizons enough to close the gaps between neighborhoods?
One that occurs to me is the increased collaboration of neighborhood associations, so that they might give attention to their edges, or the "seams," where they abut one another.
The State Street corridor is an example of a significant avenue - well, corridor - that is of major concern to multiple neighborhoods. Many other corridors like this exist in the city and often they are also the boundary lines.
So if there were some kind of cross-neighborhood-association effort to examine city corridors, then the input of others still at a grassroots level could maybe cross-pollinate a few efforts and ideas or resources. Maybe this has already happened in small ways, and the State Street Alliance is an example of it on a grand scale. Humbler efforts along those lines, that may never get publicity, could also be useful.
By the same token I think neighborhoods in the city are at a point where, at best, they may collectively be reaching a point where they are identifying their commercial heart as well as their civic heart (for some neighborhoods, they are identical, for others, slightly different locations). If that is true, then neighborhood associations may very much need to direct their limited resources to developing those aspects and figuring out how to build or maintain stability - and for each neighborhood that can vary widely.
In my view every neighborhood should be looking in some way to the downtown and South End areas right now to see how our volunteer and professional resources can contribute to city goals there, as outlined by the Urban Land Institute. There is no shortage of projects or initiatives that can divert our attention from the goals - the needs are infinite. But the downtown and South End are where shorter term success will be most noticeable and contribute to greater success and stability radiating throughout the city.
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