University of Massachusetts Amherst ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Studio and Student Research and Creative Activity Fall 2013 Revitalization of the Lower Worthington Street District (Springfield, MA) Karl S. Allen University of Massachusetts - Amherst, [email protected] Mark D. Berube University of Massachusetts - Amherst, [email protected] Calliope E. Bosen University of Mass, [email protected] Gregory Robert Lewis University of Massachusetts - Amherst, [email protected] Alexander Casey Mello University of Massachusetts - Amherst, [email protected] See next page for additional authors Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/larp_grad_research Part of the Environmental Design Commons, Landscape Architecture Commons, and the Urban, Community and Regional Planning Commons Allen, Karl S.; Berube, Mark D.; Bosen, Calliope E.; Lewis, Gregory Robert; Mello, Alexander Casey; Michniewicz, Caitlin Anne; Rosa, John Armando; Spencer, Sarah; and Wasserman, Stacy E., "Revitalization of the Lower Worthington Street District (Springfield, MA)" (2013). Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Studio and Student Research and Creative Activity. 31. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.umass.edu/larp_grad_research/31 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning at ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Studio and Student Research and Creative Activity by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Authors Karl S. Allen, Mark D. Berube, Calliope E. Bosen, Gregory Robert Lewis, Alexander Casey Mello, Caitlin Anne Michniewicz, John Armando Rosa, Sarah Spencer, and Stacy E. Wasserman This article is available at ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/larp_grad_research/31 Home in the Heart of Springfield: the Lower Worthington Street District A Studio Project – Regional Planning 675 Karl Allen, Mark Berube, Department of Landscape Architecture Calliope Bosen, Greg Lewis, and Regional Planning Alexander Mello, Caitlin Michniewicz, University of Massachusetts Amherst Jay Rosa, Sarah Spencer, Fall 2013 and Stacy Wasserman Acknowledgments The studio team would like to thank the following individuals and organizations for their invaluable input and guidance: Jay Minkarah, CEO, DevelopSpringfield Scott Hanson, Principal Planner, Springfield Planning Department Catherine Ratte, Principal Planner, Pioneer Valley Planning Commission Bob McCarroll, Member, Springfield Historical Commission Don Courtemanche, Director, Springfield Business Improvement District Holly Smith-Bove, President, Springfield Museums Charles Brush, Owner, Indian Orchard Mills Fred Rose, Co-director, Wellspring Collaborative, UMass Center for Public Policy and Administration Brian Connors, Deputy Director, Springfield Department of Economic Development Arise for Social Justice We are indebted to Zimmerman/Volk for producing a housing study for the area surrounding the Lower Worthington Street District, commissioned by the Springfield Planning Department. Their research was invaluable. We are also indebted to the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning. The instructor for this studio was Dr. Darrel Ramsey-Musolf. For correspondence on this report, please contact the studio team at: [email protected] i “You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care. About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there." With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street. And you may not find any you'll want to go down. In that case, of course, you'll head straight out of town.” Geisel, Theodor S. & Geisel, Audrey S. (1990). Oh, the Places You'll Go! New York, NY: Random House. ii Contents ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................ I CONTENTS ............................................................................................................... III EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...............................................................................................1 LIST OF ACRONYMS ....................................................................................................4 BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES .................................................................................7 HISTORY OF THE LOWER WORTHINGTON STREET DISTRICT .........................................9 PRE-CIVIL WAR (1700S – 1861) .......................................................................................9 CIVIL WAR AND RAPID DEVELOPMENT (1861 – 1950) ......................................................... 11 OVERGROWTH, LOSS OF RETAIL AND THE DECLINE OF MANUFACTURING (1950S – PRESENT) ........ 13 SITE DESCRIPTION .................................................................................................... 16 NEIGHBORHOOD PROFILE............................................................................................... 16 LYNCH ANALYSIS .......................................................................................................... 20 CONNECTIVITY AND TRANSIT ........................................................................................... 29 PARKING .................................................................................................................... 40 PUBLIC PERCEPTION ................................................................................................. 41 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 41 SOCIAL ...................................................................................................................... 41 PHYSICAL PERCEPTION................................................................................................... 42 CRIME PERCEPTION ...................................................................................................... 44 REDEVELOPMENT LITERATURE ................................................................................. 47 DOWNTOWNS ............................................................................................................. 47 HOUSING ................................................................................................................... 51 iii RETAIL ....................................................................................................................... 53 INDUSTRY AND EMPLOYMENT FOR LOCAL RESIDENTS ............................................................ 54 PUBLIC AND GREEN SPACES ............................................................................................ 56 CURRENT POLICY ..................................................................................................... 59 ZONING ..................................................................................................................... 59 TAX BASE AND LAND USE ............................................................................................... 61 ADULT ENTERTAINMENT USES ......................................................................................... 63 REDEVELOPMENT OVERVIEW ................................................................................... 67 HOUSING ................................................................................................................... 67 COMMERCIAL .............................................................................................................. 81 INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AND JOB CREATION .................................................................. 93 PRIORITY DEVELOPMENT SITE PROPOSALS ............................................................... 96 OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................. 96 APREMONT TRIANGLE ................................................................................................... 97 RAIL RIDGE ............................................................................................................... 103 WILLYS OVERLAND BUILDING ......................................................................................... 109 UPPER LYMAN COOPERATIVE ZONE ................................................................................ 115 LYMAN ARCADE ......................................................................................................... 122 DWIGHT STREET GREENWAY ......................................................................................... 125 COMMUNITY GARDENS AT LOWER WORTHINGTON ............................................................ 127 STEARNS SQUARE + EXTENSION ..................................................................................... 135 AVAILABLE REDEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES .............................................................. 141 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDED NEXT STEPS ................................................... 149 POLICY SUGGESTIONS .................................................................................................. 149 APPENDIX .............................................................................................................