REBUILD SPRINGFIELD PLAN | SPRINGFIELD MASSACHUSE TTS Citywide Plan Springfield Redevelopment Authority Presented by: Concordia Goody Clancy BNIM Project for Public Spaces February 2012 Table of Contents Overview & Introduction 2 Introduction 2 City-wide Overview 8 Recovery Initiatives & Recommendations 11 Major Moves 12 Educational Domain Recommendations 15 Physical Domain Recommendations 29 Cultural Domain Recommendations 51 Social Domain Recommendations 65 Economic Domain Recommendations 89 Organizational Domain Recommendations 107 Overall Recommendations 113 Philanthropic Opportunities 123 Funding Opportunities 128 Implementation Challenges, Opportunities and Financing 132 Acknowledgements 143 REBUILD SPRINGFIELD PLAN | SPRINGFIELD MASSACHUSETTS iii iv REBUILD SPRINGFIELD PLAN | SPRINGFIELD MASSACHUSETTS Overview & Introduction REBUILD SPRINGFIELD PLAN | SPRINGFIELD MASSACHUSETTS 1 2 REBUILD SPRINGFIELD PLAN | SPRINGFIELD MASSACHUSETTS Introduction “The Rebuild Springfield citywide meeting presented an opportunity to hear people thinking mostly futuristically and optimistically about the city. It is good to look forward by thinking about our assets – not just dwelling on problems.” -- Participant, Citywide Meeting Round 1 The Rebuild Springfield initiative was created Rebuild Springfield was commissioned by Included in the Plan on page 132 is a broad in response to the June 1st tornado that struck DevelopSpringfield and the Springfield outline of challenges and opportunities for the City of Springfield. However, the scope of Redevelopment Authority. These entities, implementing the Plan’s recommendations. It is the initiative goes far beyond simple rebuilding. formed in 2008 and 1960, respectively, are tasked important to note that the scope of Springfield’s Citizens, city government, private businesses with restoring vitality to Springfield. rebuilding needs exceeds the availability of and other stakeholders rallied together to use current funding opportunities. It is likely that the June tornado as a catalyst for rethinking The Rebuild Springfield process takes place a dedicated Federal appropriation will be Springfield’s future. on two parallel levels with a strong emphasis necessary to closed various financing gaps towards action. At the citywide level, residents, presented in or as a result of the Plan. The Rebuild Springfield initiative integrated business leaders, and stakeholders have crafted community input with planning expertise to a vision and action plan for improving the quality Finally, In planning and implementing develop a realistic action plan for realizing the of life in Springfield. Springfield’s future, no group or individual vision of neighborhoods and the city as a whole. can act alone. Businesses, organizations, the At the same time, residents of the tornado government, and individual citizens must work impacted areas (Districts 1, 2, & 3) engaged together in a collaborative and cooperative way in addressing the needs and visions of their to build a revitalized Springfield and start taking respective neighborhoods. By gathering the first concrete steps toward that vision. together in “Planning District” meetings, residents focused on issues specific to the activities and experiences of their day-to-day lives. They outlined realistic actions for achieving their vision. REBUILD SPRINGFIELD PLAN | SPRINGFIELD MASSACHUSETTS 3 Approach What is the concept behind the Rebuild Springfield initiative? The Citywide planning process is organized in implementation of this plan is the key to of the City and Region and provide for concise according to the six Nexus Domains of a healthy realizing the hopes and dreams of the many and tailored direction. and vibrant community. These domains include community members who participated in the physical, cultural, social, organizational, creating the plan. The public meetings at both Pam McKinney of Byrne McKinney & Associates educational, and economic components of a the Citywide and District levels addressed three provided real estate consulting services to the community. core phases of developing the plan: entire project team, including significant work tailored to the conditions and needs of the Using the Nexus model as an organizing Phase 1 | Review and analysis of Districts of the Rebuild Springfield Plan. Her framework ensures the creation of a systemic existing conditions, vision work included in-depth real estate market and holistic plan for Springfield’s future. Assets analyses as well as supplemental information and needs of the community are analyzed and Phase 2 | Develop and synthesize related to the types of funding resources sometimes mapped according to their respective opportunities, consider financial necessary for implementing the many and varied “domain” or category. While items sometimes implications recommendations in the plan pertaining to real fall into more than one category, working in estate and development. this way ensures that each aspect of Springfield Phase 3 | Confirm and garners equal consideration during the planning prioritize recommendations and and community engagement process. implementation steps The Citywide process used the Nexus framework. The Planning District process also used the In addition to this project framework and to the Nexus framework, but dug more deeply into work of Goody Clancy, BNIM, and Project for issues and ideas taking shape in Springfield’s Public Spaces, obtaining additional expertise was tornado-impacted neighborhoods. important. Most importantly, public engagement has Dan Hodge of HDR provided economic analyses been key to developing the most appropriate and forecasting, and played a very significant recommendations for Springfield. role in the development and shaping of the Citywide recommendations in the Economic Community members; organizational and Domain. His intimate knowledge of the City of business leaders; municipal, regional and Springfield and the Pioneer Valley was crucial in state agencies; and elected officials must the eventual development of recommendations recognize that ownership and participation that respond well to the climate and stakeholders 4 REBUILD SPRINGFIELD PLAN | SPRINGFIELD MASSACHUSETTS Process Schedule, Phases and Community Participation The Rebuild Springfield planning process began in October of 2011 and was completed in Rebuild Springfield Planning Process February of 2012. The Citywide and Planning District meetings took place as iterative and parallel processes with DISTRICT 1 DISTRICT 2 DISTRICT 3 issues and solutions developed in the Districts Metro Center Six Corners Sixteen Acres informing the Citywide process. The Rebuild (Downtown) Springfield Plan works to assure that the city and Upper Hill East Forest Park its neighborhoods can function harmoniously. South End Old Hill There were three Citywide Meetings and 9 Planning District Meetings - three meetings in Forest Park each Planning District. The first round of meetings focused on CITY-WIDE CONGRESS Visioning, the second on Opportunities and Recommendations, and the final round on Priorities and Implementation. District Meetings District Meetings District Meetings City-Wide City-Wide City-Wide Implementation 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 JANUARY OCTOBER DECEMBER NOVEMBER REBUILD SPRINGFIELD PLAN | SPRINGFIELD MASSACHUSETTS 5 Recommendation Structure How to read a Rebuild Springfield recommendation In the Rebuild Springfield Plan, Resource Needs recommendations will follow a uniform structure • This section provides a brief description of Priority to ensure continuity and clarity. Typical some of the resources needed for successful • The priority of a recommendation is often categories include: implementation of the recommendation. determined by the level of support it • “Resource Needs” can range from received during the community meeting Breadcrumbs financing and grant funding to leadership, process. • “Breadcrumbs” are intended to show the management, and communication. • Funding opportunities, time, feasibility, and source of an idea or recommendation. impact were also considered in judging the Throughout the community meeting process, Potential Resource Opportunities priority of the recommendation. ideas were cataloged and analyzed to • The “Potential Resource Opportunities” develop a diverse plan that addressed all section lists existing programs, Action Steps of the community’s needs. Breadcrumbs collaborations, projects, and funding sources • The “Action Steps” section is a simplified allow readers and community members to that might contribute to the successful checklist that can act as a starting point for understand where recommendations were implementation of the recommendation. implementation. conceived. • This list is not exclusive: additional resources • These steps are subject to change at the should always be explored and included discretion of Implementation Leaders General Description in the Rebuild Springfield implementation as dictated by on-the-ground reality of • The “General Description” offers a process. implementation once the recommendation is perspective on the existing conditions in • More resource opportunities are expanded put into action. Springfield that the recommendation will upon in sections at the end of this document address. which were prepared in conjunction with Project Location • This section also contains brief explanations philanthropic, real estate, and economic • The “Project Location” of a recommendation of the recommendation’s approach. development consultants. is often