A 47-page written report (PDF) about development in Springfield from the Urban Land Institute is being released today at a 2:00 pm press event, tentatively scheduled to be held outside 13–31 Elm Street at Court Square.
Rain is possible, but perhaps the gods will smile down on the city this afternoon for a few shining moments and keep clouds at bay. Do the gods remember Springfield? Have we frittered away all of their benevolence, or might there be a new supply for our city under siege from… itself?
Leading up to the press event today, Chief Development Officer David Panagore and Chambers of Commerce President Russell Denver have a busy schedule. They are meeting with each some of the Springfield city councilors one on one to present the report and review it privately, as a courtesy to the councilors prior to the public release.
The fact that officials are giving such diligent attention to individual city councilors would appear to underline their commitment to giving the ULI report their utmost attention, translating into action and not just lip service.
What will councilors take away from the private meetings? Each of them is likely at a different point along the continuum of attitudes toward what the city needs, and what steps to take to get there. The goal may well be to try to bring each councilor into a single frame of reference without actually using brainwashing techniques. One-on-one meetings can foster meaningful exchange, patient opportunities for questions and answers, minimal grand-standing or empty persuasive tactics, actual learning, and greater familiarity on all sides of the matters and viewpoints at hand.
Officials told the Republican, in a debriefing of sorts by Peter Goonan published today, that they "have pledged to aggressively implement" the ULI plan. (As a side note, MassLive.com’s updated format for news articles appears to have been unveiled today as well.)
One of the top items on the list is the redevelopment of vacant 13-31 Elm Street itself. We’ve known that item for months now; what the report will hopefully reveal is the thinking behind that strategy, and related supporting information about the significance of Springfield’s urban core. Court Square is the very heart of that core. It’s been too long since people could look out on its charm from inside the historic Elm Street building’s windows.
