City plans safety, usage modifications to downtown’s Jubilee Park

The city of Springfield plans to make safety and operational modifications to Jubilee Park, 298 S. Jefferson Ave., in downtown Springfield, according to a news release.

The project would be constructed by Public Works internal streets and grounds crews at a maximum cost of $5,000.

City officials say the goal of the proposed modifications is to provide more green space for residents and visitors downtown. The project would include the removal of stone walls, planters and patio spaces on the north and south portions of the park, which runs parallel to Jefferson Avenue to the north and south of St. Louis Street.

An asphalt walkway would be removed, and a new walkway constructed to connect sidewalk along the western perimeter to an existing music installation, according to the release. The proposed pavement removal would provide flatter, more walkable green space that would also be easier to mow. Several trees in poor condition would also be removed and replaced, according to the release.

Public comments on the proposed improvements will be accepted through an online comment portal from the city through Oct. 30.

City officials say they began looking at potential modifications to the park following a request from the Downtown Community Improvement District to assess safety, maintenance and overall usability of the space.

A Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design study of the space was conducted over the summer by the Springfield Police Department, according to the release. The city also researched the history of the current contents of Jubilee Park and found no restrictions to the proposed modification.

“We intend to do much-needed maintenance and editing, so to speak, of the space,” said Tim Rosenbury, the city’s director of quality of place initiatives, in the release. “Through the various iterations of transportation and streetscaping improvements over the past 50 years, very little has been done to the park itself. With new sidewalk and infrastructure recently completed in the area, it’s time to make a few changes so the park can better serve downtown as an open green space.”

The planned modifications would be conducted in phases, with the pavement and stonework removals occurring in Phase I, and walkway improvements and landscaping coming in Phase 2. No timetable for the project was given in the release.