Downtown Study (box)

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Brad Segal of Progressive Urban Management Association Inc. has consulted on downtown Springfield for seven years. |ret||ret||tab|

He said there were three main reasons that the organizational assessment study was needed:|ret||ret||tab|

center city's 7-year-old business plan needed updating;|ret||ret||tab|

the area's marketing messages are unclear; and|ret||ret||tab|

roles and resources have shifted.|ret||ret||tab|

In May, more than 75 downtown stakeholders including property owners, businesses, civic leaders and city officials participated in interviews and workshops to complete the organizational assessment. |ret||ret||tab|

The $13,000 study was paid for by the city of Springfield and the groups involved.|ret||ret||tab|

Urban Districts Alliance board member Brian Fogle characterizes the issues identified in the study as "growing pains." |ret||ret||tab|

"These are issues of success because downtown has developed and has moved forward so well in the last six years that the environment has changed," he said.|ret||ret||tab|

"Now what we're trying to figure out is how can we respond to those changes and be effective for the next five to 10 years."|ret||ret||tab|

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