Led by co-chairman Fred Kramer of ADD Inc., seven members of an eleven-member panel assigned by the ULI-Boston District Council visited Springfield on April 17 for a day-long informal fact-gathering endeavor focusing on the city’s South End.
The group is assessing the area as part of a ULI Technical Assistance Panel initiative, which enables Springfield to gain the fruits of ULI expertise at no additional cost; panel members had to sign documents attesting to their volunteer involvement and lack of current or near-future investment in the area.
The entire panel includes co-chair and architect Wayne Mueller, finance expert Derek Cavenaugh of Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation, Joe Fahey of Amesbury’s economic development department, community development professional Evelyn Friedman of Nuestra Comunidad Development Corporation, economic development expert Victor Karen of RF Walsh Company, Kathryn Madden of Sasaki Associates Inc., market analyst William Shapiro of Legget McCall, land use and zoning specialist Kishore Varanasi of CBT Architects, housing development expert Sandi Wolchansky of JPI, and Mossik Hacobian of Boston’s Urban Edge.
Chief Development Officer David Panagore said the seven panelists here last week took a site tour of the South End, and met with him for about half an hour. The visitors also met with Juan Gerena, Kathleen Lingenberg, Deputy Police Chief William Cochrane, the Parks and Recreation Department‘s Deryk Roach (discussing Emerson Wight Park), HAP, Inc.‘s Peter Gagliardi, Mayor Charles Ryan, and City Councilor Domenic Sarno.
They also met with various commercial and residential property owners, including that of Frigo’s Gourmet Foods (pictured above, from the company’s Web site)—owner Joseph Frigo of Agawam, Paul Oldenburg, who owns and manages a large swath of housing in the Hollywood district, and Angie and Leo Florian of the civic association. In all, Panagore estimated, the panel met with about 15 to 20 people as part of their fact-finding mission.
The former Gemini site in Springfield’s South End, awaiting development
"Team members did hear consistent themes," Panagore said of the panel surveying the South End. "They were complex, and difficult, yet consistent."
The geographic area of focus is the east side of Main Street, from Winthrop Street south to Marble Street, including Emerson Wight park just to the south of Marble. (For a closer look, download this nearly 3 MB high-resolution version of the aerial imagery above.) The former Gemini site is on the northern edge of this area, and the Hollywood district, its own kind of cul-de-sac, is to the south (also pictured below). Part of the challenge for the Hollywood area is to try to open up its circulatory flow and knit it back to the fabric of the city, in part a public safety issue.
Last week’s visit was the first session for the panel to get the lay of the land, Panagore said, with the idea being to move fast and be comprehensive. The aim is to "figure out what’s missing, who didn’t they talk to" yet, with a remaining concern being the "silent majority" of residents in the Hollywood district.
The Hollywood district in Springfield’s South End; photos from OP&ED
The Hollywood area of the city is said to need urgent redevelopment
Spanish- and English-language flyers are going up in the Hollywood area today, inviting the public to a meeting next week where the panel will follow up, sharing findings and hearing public comment.
That meeting will take place starting at 5:00 pm at the Zanetti School, 59 Howard Street, next Wednesday, May 2. An invitation flyer is available in both English (Word doc) and Spanish (Word doc) for sharing with others.
The panel will make its presentation after a full day Wednesday of intensive working sessions, following an evening of private mingling at Pazzo’s (closed to the public) on Tuesday, where panelists plan to catch up with Police Commissioner Edward Flynn for input as well. Following the presentation Wednesday evening, public comment is sought at the meeting, and there will be a press availability at 7:30.
The whole process, Panagore said, is a new approach being developed by ULI, where a local district council becomes the "drill-down" resource after a national panel visit. The panel includes a staff writer, so presumably the output of results will also be faster and on-the-fly, part of the new approach. The written document produced by this panel will likewise generate a fresh supply of guidelines, resources and expert advice for the city to consider as it prepares its own detailed plans for the South End.
A similar strategy will be employed in looking at the downtown region, Panagore continued, with close involvement from the Springfield Business Improvement District as well as the regional Chambers of Commerce. The pattern: one day with stakeholders, a return visit for a working session and public comment, and then the production of a written document.
