Opinion: Downtown developers build on, make history

The Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoach line in 1858 linked Missouri to San Francisco and reinforced Park Central Square as the commercial and civic hub. The St. Louis-San Francisco Railway, or Frisco, arrived in 1870 and created the Commercial Street district in what was then North Springfield. Route 66 was officially named at the Colonial Hotel (at the southwest corner of Jefferson Avenue and St. Louis Street), and “The Mother Road” brought millions of travelers through the heart of our community en route to Chicago or Los Angeles. Dozens of motels, hamburger stands and other businesses sprouted to serve the new tourists.

Rekindling that rich history is a key ingredient in the dramatic revitalization of center city.

Branding history

While new lifestyle centers seek to create pedestrian-friendly streetscapes reminiscent of Main Street America, Springfield’s center city business districts each have unique personalities that attract new residents and investors every month.

Not only do the districts promote heritage and a feeling of civic pride, individual businesses are creating branding opportunities by linking to a storied past. It’s hard to imagine Mudhouse’s eclectic clientele in a strip mall. Wild Bill’s shootout provides a perfect context for Hickok’s Steakhouse & Brewery. The Walnut Street Inn is impossible to duplicate in a subdivision. Askinosie Chocolate differentiates its upcoming enticing products with its historic renovation.

History’s extra credit

Nearly three decades ago, Congress enacted the rehab credit, and since then, it has leveraged more than $33 billion worth of private investment in America’s older and historic neighborhoods. Properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places undergoing “substantial” rehabilitation may be eligible for these significant benefits. Federal credits are available for up to 20 percent of qualified costs on income-producing properties. State tax credits are available for up to 25 percent of qualified costs on income-producing properties or owner-occupied projects.

According to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, a Rutgers University study “reveals that the impact of historic preservation tax credits on Missouri’s economy extends far beyond the initial investment in buildings and communities. The preservation of Missouri’s historic architecture is a major driver for heritage tourism in the state and a major source of new jobs and additional revenue for municipalities, counties and the state itself.”

History turns green

The Discovery Center expanded its educational mission and led by example in its renovation and expansion of the former Greyhound Bus Station. Its construction reused materials whenever possible, and now its facilities save on utility costs by recycling water internally and capturing rain from its roofs.

Commercial Street is committed to promoting green building as a part of its Strategy for Success revitalization campaign. Sample projects include placing recycling bins in key areas, constructing pervious parking lots, adding bike routes and encouraging rooftop gardens and rain gardens.

Whether it’s through branding, tax credits or green building, today’s center city pioneers build on the infrastructure created by Springfield’s founding fathers, to convert grain mills to clean labs for nanotechnology and national defense; to turn department stores and ice houses into condominiums and loft apartments; and to reinvent an abandoned warehouse into a state-of-the-art crime lab.

Thankfully, entrepreneurs don’t have to look to the horizon to explore new opportunities.

Rusty Worley, executive director of Urban Districts Alliance, can be reached at rusty@itsalldowntown.com.