According to an article in today’s Republican, a meeting to take place this morning at 10:00 am will gather together a new organization called the State Street Alliance, "a collaboration of business, city, higher education, religious, neighborhood and community representatives," to sponsor a redevelopment plan for the State Street corridor, "an analysis of market, residential and investment opportunities, as well as a conceptual plan." From the article, by Mary Ellen Lowney:
The State Street Alliance… will meet this morning at Classical Condominiums to launch an initiative that aims to develop a long-term vision for the stretch of the east-west corridor between West Columbus Avenue and St. Michael’s Cemetery.
…This effort has brought together agencies and groups that are, in part, private. They include the Roman Catholic and Episcopal dioceses, which have headquarters on State Street, all four colleges in the city, a private agency that serves homeless people, and the library and museums organizations, among many others. The group was organized largely by MassMutual Financial Group.
…Today’s meeting will serve as an invitation to consulting firms to express interest in winning a contract to prepare a redevelopment plan. Springfield Business Development Corp. President Maureen C. Hayes, whose agency is organizing the preparation of the redevelopment plan, said signing up members for the alliance was an easy task. …Hayes said several members of the alliance have agreed to put up the money to pay for the plan, which is expected to cost between $125,000 and $150,000.
This type of alliance is great, but this article causes me to wonder whether additional expenditure on planning is an appropriate investment. The article reads, the group "will showcase an impressive and diverse group that is united in a desire to improve the corridor." Showcase? Impressive?
Plans for State Street’s built environment have been in the works for a long time. An engineering firm has been working on the creation and adjustment of those plans (PDF), which "address the physical conditions and transportation issues along the entire 3.2 mile corridor," according to the city’s project update. "These changes look to include improved traffic flow, guidelines for corridor aesthetics, a plan for streetscape features, improved safety and transportation for pedestrian and bicycle, and innovative parking solutions."
More cash going into an "analysis of opportunity" sounds a little fishy to me—and this is coming from someone with a passion for planning. At some point, action is necessary. Perpetual meetings and ideas on paper are an American obsession. Will this alliance result in more of the same?
Maybe an argument could be made that until an analysis is in hand, potential investors are dubious, and they’ll want to see proof that someone charted the numbers to convince them of the corridor’s promise. Perhaps the economic conditions were not an aspect of the city’s efforts with State Street, and this is a logical step for private investment to take. But still: showcase? Come on. We need to roll up our sleeves and get work done, not showcasing.
Update: The State Street Alliance could consider lower-key grassroots activities, like encouraging all the small business owners along the three-mile stretch to attend the central library’s free series of small business workshops.
