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UMass Urban Design Center set for Court Square

by Bill Dusty

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno announced on Thursday that the University of Massachusetts will be establishing an Urban Design Center in downtown Springfield, to be located at 3-7 Elm Street, Court Square.

Court Square has been in need of tenants and business for the past several years. The former Court Square Hotel, at 13-30 Elm Street (which is attached to 3-7 the Elm Street building), has long been vacant, and the City recently announced it was ending its agreement with the preferred developer of that property, Connelly and Partners, which had won the rights to develop the property back in 2008.

The design center, which is set to open on February 1, 2010, will offer programs in architecture, landscape architecture, conservation and regional planning, according to a press release on the City’s Web site.

In a Republican story on the City’s decision to terminate its relationship with Connelly and Partners, Chief Development Officer John Judge said the City is still looking to develop the former hotel building into a mix of market-rate apartments, office space and retail.

Commenting on UMass’s commitment to Springfield, UMass chancellor Robert Holub said in the City’s press release that the university would continue to look at other business spin-offs in the city, including locating UMass “back-off functions” at the next-door former hotel building.

The City of Springfield and UMass established a formal partnership back in 2008. The so-called Greater Springfield-University of Massachusetts Amherst Partnership was set up to help facilitate collaborative efforts between the two parties in developing green industries for the region and promoting the arts in Springfield.

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Posted by Bill Dusty on Oct 31st, 2009 and filed under Latest Posts, Springfield. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.