‘It’s up to us’

While the SDAT members’ final report should be issued in the coming months, their preliminary recommendations give plenty of ideas to start the process of reinvigorating Springfield’s downtown in the meantime. Victoria Ringer at DSI says Springfield may not like some of the realities revealed in the final report, but she adds, “It’s up to us to put the recommendations into action and make the downtown vibrant again.”

Charles Pell, a Springfield architect who provided logistical support for the SDAT members, says the downtown isn’t dead; it’s just different now than in the past.

“The downtown has a whole lot of growth potential and a whole lot of opportunities,” Pell says. “It’s going to take people like Larry Quenette putting their money where their mouths are. That project is becoming a success right before our very eyes, and it’s going to take others seeing that and realizing that type of project is our future.”

Contact Patrick Yeagle at [email protected].

For more information about the proposed changes, visit www.sdatspringfield.com.