Apremont Triangle, a portion of downtown Springfield where Chestnut, Bridge, and Pearl Streets intersect, is undergoing some slow changes.
Noting the Urban Land Institute panel’s interest in the triangle, the city is seeking to revitalize the area with a request for bids for the sale of a 23,345 square-foot parking lot at 33 Pearl Street, zoned "Business A" (just out of the left side of the picture at top, and on the right side of the picture above). The lot boasts 35 parking spaces and eight garages. From the solicitation:
The City will consider proposals on or off the site that involve mixed-use developments (no 1st floor office use), market rate housing, as well as office and commercial uses. Prohibited uses include: adult entertainment, churches, social service agencies, group homes, and shelters, automotive and warehousing uses. The development should complement the historic character of the neighborhood and serve the needs of the residents.
Springfield’s Apremont Triangle in 2005 from MassGIS. Arrow points to 33 Pearl Street lot. Apremont Triangle is partly in shadow, to the south and west of the lot for sale.
Adult entertainment is noted in the city’s solicitation as a prohibited use for or near the site. There is already adult entertainment at Apremont Triangle in the form of the Amazing.net storefront (at left) on Pearl Street, also known as Video Expo, allegedly run by the notorious Capital Video Corp. Regarding the store, Police Commissioner Edward Flynn put out a call recently for downtown residents to attend a License Commission violation hearing, originally scheduled for yesterday at 1:00 pm in City Hall’s Room 220.
The hearing, allegedly for license violations regarding five counts of illegal activity including drug sales on or near the premises and lewd activity, was postponed early this week. The License Commission does not invite public comment at its hearings, but residents can send concerns about Amazing.net to: Springfield License Commission, Room 317, City Hall, Springfield, MA 01103.
Parallel to the city’s efforts, last fall bids were sought for the development of vacant storefront space in the Birnie Building at Chestnut and Pearl Streets, evidently in the hopes that part of it could become a small grocery store.
Realtor David Appleman of Samuel Plotkin and Associates circulated a flyer stating, "Retail Space for Lease: Historic Redevelopment." Space was advertised as starting at $9.50 per square foot with on-site parking for 80-plus vehicles.
The "village market" offers up to 11,000 square feet of space, as well as a loading dock. Four other retail spaces appear on the site plan provided, ranging from 5,000 to 1,500 square feet in space. At the very corner of the building, Appleman offers a 2,000 square foot restaurant with a kitchen.
The project is financed, the flyer states, by Chart Organization LLC, which some may recall as Rockville Centre, New York-based developer Glenn Edwards’s business. "Civic support" is noted as well from the Office of Planning and Economic Development, the Armoury-Quadrangle Civic Association, the Springfield Business Improvement District, and MassDevelopment. It takes a slew of support to raise a storefront. Whether anything is moving forward on the project is another question.
In any case, Apremont Triangle, one of downtown Springfield’s sweetest spots, is getting some much-needed consideration and a few attempts at stabilizing development. The fact that the city has come out in favor of mixed uses on or near the parking lot that "serve the needs of the residents" is a true milestone.
One begins to wonder, though: what use can the Springfield business-ish community offer if it’s not adult entertainment, auto repair, a social service agency, or a church? More nail salons? We need to think out of the box on this one, and we need some new types of businesses willing to come in. My take is that settling into Apremont Triangle now—when it’s cheap—will pay off later. Our mantra: "It’s got good bones."
