Restorations, renovations, investments continue in center city

Center city, as defined by the Spring-field-Greene County Vision 20/20 Com-prehensive Plan, is a diverse group of business, residential and civic districts including and surrounding the historic central business district.

This area encompasses what was in 1898 the entire city limits of Springfield. It is bound roughly by Commercial Street on the north, National Avenue on the east, Grand Street on the south and Grant Avenue on the west. The plan further describes the size of center city as approximately 1.3 miles by 2.3 miles. One only needs to drive or walk in any part of the area to see the changes being made.

On Commercial Street, the Jefferson Street Footbridge is in the final stages of renovations. A new plaza area also is be-ing completed on the south end of the footbridge that includes a small stage for performances and other activities.

The buildings along Commercial Street continue to be renovated for rest-aurants, retail and loft apartments. Dur-ing the year Preservation Springfield moved three houses within the Com-mercial Street area that had been ac-quired by Springfield Public Schools for a parking lot.

In the area between Commercial Street and Park Central Square, Ozarks Tech-nical Community College continues to expand and the new Greene County Ju-dicial Center has been completed. The Midtown-Carnegie Library renovation has been completed and the $23 million renovation of Central High School is well under way.

Both the Mid-Town Neighborhood As-sociation and the West Central Neigh-borhood Alliance have become proactive advocates in their residential and business areas.

The Park Central (downtown) district also is undergoing a new surge of energy and optimism. After years of neglect and decline, it is fast becoming the place for dining and entertainment. At last count there were almost 30 places to eat and more than 15 pubs and clubs.

Retail and office space also is in great demand in the Park Central area, along with increasing requests for residential space. Many galleries, studios, theaters and educational and youth facilities are also in the area. Southwest Missouri State University owns and rents a significant amount of space for administrative and student purposes.

The Downtown Springfield Commun-ity Improvement District became fully operational in 2001. The CID, a self-taxing entity, now manages the city-owned and leased parking lots, keeps the sidewalks clean and is engaged in a number of image enhancement activities. All of this is to convey the message that downtown is dynamic and it is the place to be.

To the east of Park Central Square, the Jordan Valley Park continues to take shape. The Jordan Valley Ice Park was completed in September 2001 and it has become a major center city attraction. Both the SMSU hockey team and the Junior A league Springfield Spirit play in the ice park to enthusiastic fans. Recre-ational hockey leagues, private skating lessons and open public skating sessions keep the Jordan Valley Ice Park busy from early morning to late at night.

The Walnut Street Historic District is the annual host of Artsfest, presented by the Springfield Area Arts Council and the Walnut Street Merchants' Cider Days which jointly draw almost 50,000 visitors.

The Walnut Street area also continues to attract mixed-use development of retail, dining, office and residential while maintaining its unique historic character.

The Urban Districts Alliance, an um-brella organization created in 1997 as a part of the Vision 20/20 Center City Plan Element, works with all the center city districts by providing technical and ad-ministrative support.

The UDA assists property owners and businesses with community development projects and works cooperatively with the city on stormwater, traffic and parking issues. Through the Springfield Fi-nance |amp| Development Corporation, the UDA coordinates capital and operating loans for business development.

The UDA also has emerged as the manager of events in the center city area and as the all-important |quot|keeper of the vision|quot| for the future.

While all of the above have created a renewed sense of enthusiasm, the year ahead promises even more excitement. The Commercial Street District is working hard on plans to create a year-round Public Market where the Farmers Market now stands at the foot of the Jefferson Street Footbridge.

The Commercial Street, downtown and Walnut Street organizations all are working on streetscape plans for new sidewalks, light fixtures and other public infrastructure improvements using federal Community Development Block Grant funds and portions of the city's Capital Improvements tax. The CID ex-pects to resurface several more parking lots and to continue to implement new image enhancement programs.

Jordan Valley Park, Phase 1, will be completed in 2002. This will include more than 12 acres of open space with a water feature, promenade, amphitheater, picnic area, trails and quiet spaces just to |quot|get away|quot| from it all. Hopefully, plans and funding for the old Creamery building, the exposition center, the arena, the parking deck and the baseball stadium will be finalized within the year. All of these will greatly enhance the image and usage of center city.

The spin off of this public effort, as is already evident, will be continued and accelerated redevelopment by the private sector. The Seville Hotel, the Sterling Hotel, the Oberman building and the Heer's building are just a few of the projects scheduled for major renovation. A number of new restaurants, retail stores and residential lofts also are nearing completion or are in the planning stages.

Truly, center city is moving toward the vision statement written by the Vision 20/20 Focus Group: Center city is everybody's neighborhood; a place to live, work and play a place where people of all ages, backgrounds and interests are welcome to enjoy a vibrant, dynamic and growing environment. Center city is clean, safe, friendly and accessible to all.

(Bill Compere is executive director of Urban Districts Alliance.)