Pessimism Reigns at South End Revitalization Meeting
“Why are you doing this?”
That was the question posed by a pessimistic business owner in response to plans by the city to invest up to $12 million to redevelop the long-suffering South End community.
The South End of Springfield has been a sickly patient ever since Interstate 91 carved the neighborhood in half back in the 1960s. Entire blocks were tore down and families relocated. What little vibrancy remained in the community was further eroded by the flight of manufacturing from the city over the next forty years. Today, the South End is among the poorest communities in the city. Approximately 50% of the population lives at or below federal poverty levels, according to one recent study.
Now the city is thinking big as it forges ahead with what amounts to a huge redesign of much of the community. The entire project will come in ten phases over the next several years, beginning with the Main Street corridor this year. Planning and evaluation for Main Street is already underway, with work set to begin in the fall. Eleven graduate students from the UMass Amherst School of Landscape Architecture will also help out by evaluating the project and offering ideas and concepts with “fresh eyes,” said Scott Hanson, of the city’s Office of Planning and Economic Development.
Improvements to the Main Street corridor will include work on streetlights, sidewalks, street curbs and crosswalks. At intersections that have crosswalks, for example, curbs will be expanded to allow for a shorter pedestrian trip across the street. Curbs along York and Elmwood streets will be expanded to improve “green space” there. Meanwhile, at the Locust Street-Main Street convergence, the island there will be expanded into a plaza area.
The city Web site has a map detailing the overall redevelopment plan. That document can be checked out here (.pdf). The Web page for the revitalization project is here.
The total cost of the revitalization is estimated at $12 million. The city will provide about $7.3 million, with state funding estimated at about $2.6 million. Planners are hopeful the remaining $2.1 million gap can be covered as each phase of the project moves forward.
But at the February 10th meeting held to discuss the Main Street improvements, pessimism reigned. Residents and business owners had heard such promises before, only to see them evaporate in one failed initiative after another. Under the circumstances, their suspicions could be understandable. But as the criticism mounted with each question – Why is the city opening up Wendell Place? What is the city going to do about the snow banks along Main Street? Why is the city spending $12 million on infrastructure when layoffs are forthcoming? – Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno had finally had enough.
“I have to say,” said the Mayor as he stood before the attendees, “I am very surprised at the continued defeatist attitude down here in the South End.”
The $12 million in funds, said Sarno, are earmarked specifically for redevelopment. “This money is designated for certain activities in the city as far as projects that are ongoing. It cannot be distributed for labor or workforce.”
Sarno told the crowd that he has already been criticized by other neighborhoods for allotting so much funding to the South End. “But it seems to me that some of you are telling me you don’t want this money to come down to the South End area. Is that what I’m hearing?”
On the matter of snow banks along Main Street, Sarno said, “There were questions on sidewalks and snow. The responsibility of the sidewalk [belongs to] that business, and I would think if that business wants to be welcoming, they’re going to clear areas for their patrons to come in and out of the area.”
Sarno said that if word got out the community didn’t want the money, “other neighborhoods are ready to gobble it up.”
(To listen to Mayor Domenic Sarno’s comments, click here.)
“We want to see this move forward,” said South End Citizens Council president Leo Florian in support of the project. “We’re tired of things getting talked about, then dropped.”
Joan Kagan, of the community support group Square One, said the city is committing the resources needed to get the job done. “This is our window of opportunity to improve the South End,” she said.
The city is scheduling several public meetings to discuss each phase of the South End revitalization project. The next meeting is set for Thursday, March 19.
A PLAZA on the corner of Main and Locust? 3 blocks from the planned 100% low-income Longhill Gardens warehouse? Are Sarno and the planners NUTS? A plaza in the middle of a crime infested area is going to make a difference in the quality of life for South End residents? Holy Cow, I do believe Sarno and his cronies have had frontal lobotomies and don’t know it yet. A plaza in the center of a crime center will just become another place for drug dealers and street walkers to congregate and ply their trade.
If you want to spend that type of money, put in REAL INFRASTRUCTURE and make REAL CHANGES – not street walkways and pretty lighting. Expensive new walkways and pretty lighting went in downtown and a year later, still no one will dare go there. Cosmetic changes are NOT CHANGE!!! However, they do allow certain City Department personnel to collect a salary on the pretense of actually accomplishing something.
A SUBSTANTIVE plan with input from the residents (without the sarcasm Sarno!!!! or the threat of redistribution of funds if the residents don’t play ball!!!!!!!) would garner a better plan. For once in your mayorality, LISTEN TO THE FOLKS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD and stop listening to the no-nothings in Zoning, Code, Planning, and Economic Development. They have accomplished absolutely nothing concrete for this City. Yet you can bet they can find more ways to waste and “redistribute” $12 million than they can find one good idea that will actually benefit the South End.
FORGET THE TALKING HEADS WHO KNOW NOTHING BUT SURE KNOW HOW TO SPIN A GOOD YARN. LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY!!!!!! FOR ONCE IN YOUR MAYORALITY, LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY!!!!!!!
blabbit
February 18, 2009 at 11:45 pm
In this case, the term “plaza” refers to a pedestrian area on the island. It’s about a twenty square-foot area.
Bill D.
February 19, 2009 at 6:49 am
Thank you Bill. I have driven past the plaza numerous times and I just can’t see how spending money on it will change anything for the South End. This plaza is still only 3 blocks from the proposed low-income onoly warehouse at Longhill Gardens. I have already seen drug deals go down at this plaza and making it cosmetically nicer won’t change a thing.
While I am infuriated with City Hall and the do-nothings in City Departments, I read your Springfield Intruder religiously. It’s one of the few places we can get genuine, uncensored information. Keep up the great work.
blabbit
February 19, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Sarno the man who promises the moon and delivers nothing but lies and criticism strikes again!
Greg
February 20, 2009 at 9:59 am
Once again, change is always welcome however, putting lipstick on a pig does not address the underlying issues that plaque the south end. Fix the crime issue. Do something about warehousing massive amounts of poverty level persons in the south end. That is the Main problem. Or at least quit building these low income units. Untill this problem is addressed, we are just re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic!
Mattyroc
February 22, 2009 at 11:42 am