City seeks revitalization of West College Street

With the National Route 66 Centennial Kickoff Celebration, held in late April, in the rearview, the city of Springfield intends to document historic structures along the Mother Road on West College Street with the intent to start development of a plan this summer to revitalize the area.  

The city selected West Des Moines, Iowa-based Eocene Environmental Group to develop a revitalization strategy for College Street from Grant Avenue to Kansas Expressway through targeted redevelopment, environmental assessment and community-driven planning, according to a news release. The project area falls within the boundaries of the West Central Neighborhood Alliance.  

The initiative will leverage $99,000 in brownfields assessment grant resources from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, according to the release. The funds will identify and address underutilized and potentially contaminated sites, while aligning land use, transportation, housing and infrastructure investments with community priorities and the Forward SGF comprehensive plan.  

“We are incredibly grateful to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for this vital brownfields grant investment in our community,” said Amanda Ohlensehlen, the city’s director of Economic Vitality and Workforce, in the release. “These funds will help us turn underused and potentially contaminated properties into catalysts for new housing, business development and job creation. This is more than a cleanup – it’s an opportunity to reinvigorate key areas of our city and strengthen the local economy.” 

The city and Eocene are collaborating on a June 22 public meeting and open house, planned for 4-6 p.m. at the Midtown Carnegie Branch Library, 301 E. Central St. Officials will provide a 10-minute presentation at 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.; otherwise, the event is come-and-go, according to the release.  

The Route 66 and College Street corridor is surrounded by multiple brownfield sites, including bulk oil stations, auto salvage and recycling yards, auto repair shops, a hazardous waste area and railways, according to the release.  

 The city’s goals for the Route 66 and College Street corridor include: 

• Facilitate corridor revitalization by supporting redevelopment of brownfield and underutilized properties. 
• Advance economic development through small business support, mixed-use opportunities and reinvestment in historically disinvested areas. 
• Improve multimodal connectivity, safety, and access for pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit users. 
• Preserve and integrate the corridor’s historic Route 66 character into redevelopment strategies. 
• Expand housing opportunities, including infill development and preservation of affordability. 

Fieldwork to develop the revitalization plan is expected to run through April 2027. Initial efforts will focus on project initiation, stakeholder coordination and community engagement, including formation of a community advisory team and public outreach. The city seeks to select the advisory team by June 15 and is accepting applications on its website. 

The project team also will conduct visioning and market analysis, evaluating redevelopment potential, brownfield conditions and corridor opportunities, while integrating community input into emerging concepts.  

Community engagement will continue into early 2027 to refine priorities and validate draft recommendations. The process will conclude with preparation and delivery of a final, implementation-ready College Street revitalization plan in April 2027.  

Survey coming  
In addition to the revitalization plan, the city has tasked Southfield, Michigan-based Loggia Preservation for a historic resource survey of West College Street from Grant Avenue to Scenic Avenue starting the week of June 22. A final report is expected in March 2027, according to the release.  

The survey’s purpose is to document the architectural and historical significance of individual structures as well as the survey area and to evaluate eligibility for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places and local landmark designation, said Loggia Preservation’s Cassandra Talley.  

A June 23 public meeting is planned for 6:30 p.m. at Resurrection Church, 545 S. Broadway Ave., to provide details about the survey process and ask residents and business owners to share photos and memories. The West College Street study area consists of 181 parcels. 

Upon the survey’s completion, property owners and the city’s Landmarks Board have the option to seek historic designation individually or as a district.  

“Springfield’s Landmarks Board is tasked with identifying and preserving historic resources to benefit the educational, cultural, economic and general welfare of our community,” Landmarks Board Chair John Hawkins said in the release. “Documenting historic structures and corridors, such as Route 66, is an important step in this process. This survey will provide a more thorough and complete inventory of the historic resources which still exist today.”