AN ADVISORY SERVICES PANEL REPORT Springfield … · 4 An Advisory Services Panel Report ULI–the...

A N A D V I S O R Y S E R V I C E S P A N E L R E P O R T

SpringfieldMassachusetts

Urban LandInstitute$

SpringfieldMassachusettsStrategies for a Sustainable City

September 24–29, 2006An Advisory Services Panel Report

ULI–the Urban Land Institute1025 Thomas Jefferson Street, N.W.Suite 500 WestWashington, D.C. 20007-5201

An Advisory Services Panel Report2

The mission of the Urban Land Institute is toprovide leadership in the responsible use ofland and in creating and sustaining thrivingcommunities worldwide. ULI is committed to:

• Bringing together leaders from across the fieldsof real estate and land use policy to exchangebest practices and serve community needs;

• Fostering collaboration within and beyondULI’s membership through mentoring, dia-logue, and problem solving;

• Exploring issues of urbanization, conservation,regeneration, land use, capital formation, andsustainable development;

• Advancing land use policies and design prac-tices that respect the uniqueness of both builtand natural environments;

• Sharing knowledge through education, appliedresearch, publishing, and electronic media; and

• Sustaining a diverse global network of localpractice and advisory efforts that address cur-rent and future challenges.

Established in 1936, the Institute today has morethan 35,000 members from 90 countries, represent-ing the entire spectrum of the land use and devel-opment disciplines. Professionals representedinclude developers, builders, property owners, in-vestors, architects, public officials, planners, realestate brokers, appraisers, attorneys, engineers,financiers, academics, students, and librarians.ULI relies heavily on the experience of its mem-bers. It is through member involvement and infor-mation resources that ULI has been able to setstandards of excellence in development practice.The Institute has long been recognized as one ofthe world’s most respected and widely quotedsources of objective information on urban plan-ning, growth, and development.

About ULI–the Urban Land Institute

©2007 by ULI–the Urban Land Institute1025 Thomas Jefferson Street, N.W. Suite 500 WestWashington, D.C. 20007-5201

All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of the whole or anypart of the contents without written permission of the copy-right holder is prohibited.

Cover photo: Office of Planning & Economic Development,City of Springfield.

Springfield, Massachusetts, September 24–29, 2006 3

The goal of ULI’s Advisory Services Programis to bring the finest expertise in the realestate field to bear on complex land use plan-ning and development projects, programs,

and policies. Since 1947, this program has assem-bled well over 400 ULI-member teams to helpsponsors find creative, practical solutions forissues such as downtown redevelopment, landmanagement strategies, evaluation of develop-ment potential, growth management, communityrevitalization, brownfields redevelopment, mili-tary base reuse, provision of low-cost and afford-able housing, and asset management strategies,among other matters. A wide variety of public,private, and nonprofit organizations have con-tracted for ULI’s Advisory Services.

Each panel team is composed of highly qualifiedprofessionals who volunteer their time to ULI.They are chosen for their knowledge of the paneltopic and screened to ensure their objectivity.ULI’s interdisciplinary panel teams provide aholistic look at development problems. A re-spected ULI member who has previous panelexperience chairs each panel.

The agenda for a five-day panel assignment is in-tensive. It includes an in-depth briefing day com-posed of a tour of the site and meetings with spon-sor representatives; a day of hour-long interviewsof typically 50 to 75 key community representa-tives; and two days of formulating recommenda-tions. Many long nights of discussion precede thepanel’s conclusions. On the final day on site, thepanel makes an oral presentation of its findingsand conclusions to the sponsor. A written report isprepared and published.

Because the sponsoring entities are responsiblefor significant preparation before the panel’s visit,including sending extensive briefing materials toeach member and arranging for the panel to meetwith key local community members and stake-holders in the project under consideration, partici-

pants in ULI’s five-day panel assignments areable to make accurate assessments of a sponsor’sissues and to provide recommendations in a com-pressed amount of time.

A major strength of the program is ULI’s uniqueability to draw on the knowledge and expertise ofits members, including land developers and own-ers, public officials, academicians, representativesof financial institutions, and others. In fulfillmentof the mission of the Urban Land Institute, thisAdvisory Services panel report is intended toprovide objective advice that will promote the re-sponsible use of land to enhance the environment.

ULI Program StaffWilliam P. KistlerExecutive Vice President, Exchange Group

Rachelle L. LevittExecutive Vice President, Information Group

Thomas EitlerDirector, Advisory Services

Nicholas GabelSenior Associate, Advisory Services

Carmen McCormickPanel Coordinator, Advisory Services

Yvonne StantonAdministrative Assistant

Nancy H. StewartDirector, Book Program

Laura Glassman, Publications Professionals LLCManuscript Editor

Betsy Van BuskirkArt Director

Martha LoomisDesktop Publishing Specialist/Graphics

Kim RuschGraphics

Craig ChapmanDirector, Publishing Operations

About ULI Advisory Services


ULI–the Urban Land Institute has been privi-leged to join with the people of Springfieldin an Advisory Services panel to explorestrategies to renew and sustain a vibrant

community. Bringing a panel to the city is a majorundertaking, one made possible by the dedicatedefforts of many people. Organizing the effort werethe panel’s chief sponsors, the city of Springfield,the Springfield Finance Control Board, the Spring-field Chamber of Commerce, the Economic De-velopment Council of Western Massachusetts,MassDevelopment, and the Pioneer Valley Plan-ning Commission.

The panel would particularly like to thank MayorCharles Ryan and his staff; Phil Puccia, DavidPanagore, and the members and staff of the Spring-field Finance Control Board; Russ Denver andCarol Baribeau of the Springfield Chamber ofCommerce and its sponsoring members; AllanBlair, Al Griggs, and the membership of the Eco-nomic Development Council of Western Massa-chusetts; and Robert Culver, president and chiefexecutive officer of MassDevelopment and hisstaff for their contributions as members of thecity’s ULI Steering Committee, the preparationof panel briefing materials, and the panel’s com-prehensive tour of the city.

The ULI Advisory Services panel process requireshard work on the part of the sponsor as well aspanelists. The panel is grateful to the membersof the city’s ULI Steering Committee: TimothyBrennan and Paul Foster, Pioneer Valley PlanningCommission; Michelle Webber, Office of the Mayor;Katie Stebbins, Springfield Office of Planning andEconomic Development; Scott Hanson and PhilDromey, Springfield Office of Planning and Eco-nomic Development; Richard Henderson, SeanCalnan, Elizabeth Murphy, and David Websterof MassDevelopment; Eric Nakajima, DonahueInstitute, University of Massachusetts; NancyUrbschat, TSM Design; Ivette Cruz, Office ofHousing and Neighborhood Services; Jason Mannand Cathy Mossi, city of Springfield; and AltaStark, Lynn Johnson, and Jeff Ciuffreda, Affili-

ated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Spring-field. The panel would also like to thank GlennBurdick, chair, and Tracy Smith, coordinator, ofthe ULI New England District Council.

Several corporate sponsors helped make this panelpossible. Special thanks go to American Interna-tional College; Bacon & Wilson, PC; Balise MotorSales Co.; Bank of Western Massachusetts; BaystateHealth; Brightwood Development Corporation;Bulkley, Richardson, and Gelinas, LLP; C & WRealty Co.; Chase Clarke Stuart & Fontana, Inc.;Disability Management Services; Doherty, Wal-lace, Pillsbury, & Murphy; Eastfield Mall; Field,Eddy, & Bulkley, Inc.; Friendly Ice Cream Cor-poration; Garvey Communications Associates;Hampden Bank; HAP, Inc.; Irene E. & George A.Davis Foundation; Massachusetts ConventionCenter Authority; MassMutual Financial Group;Monarch Enterprises; Moriarity & Primack, PC;Peoples Bank; Peter Pan Bus Lines, Inc.; PrideStations & Stores; Robinson Donovan, PC; SamuelD. Plotkin & Associates; Sisters of ProvidenceHealth System; Sovereign Bank of New England;Springfield Chamber of Commerce; SpringfieldCollege; Springfield Technical Community College;TSM Design; United Bank; Verizon; WMECO;Western New England College; and Westfield Bank.

Conducting a panel requires the use of severalvenues and services. The panel would like to thankthe following institutions for providing meetingspace, food, or services: the Carriage House at theBarney Estate, CityStage, the Colony Club, theFort, Frigo’s, the MassMutual Center, Peter’s GrillePrime Steakhouse, the Pioneer Valley TransitAuthority, the Sheraton Springfield Hotel, andSonoma Bar & Grill.

Finally, the panel members are grateful to themore than 140 community residents, businessleaders, public officials, employers, and educa-tional and cultural leaders who willingly gave oftheir time to be interviewed by the panel. Theirinsights and candor were particularly helpful inthe panel’s understanding of the current situationin the city of Springfield.

Acknowledgments


ULI Panel and Project Staff 6

Foreword: The Panel’s Assignment 7

Leadership: Public, Private, and Community 11

Planning and Development Strategies 16

Downtown Market Potential 22

Downtown Design Elements and Key Projects 29

Conserving Springfield’s Neighborhoods 35

Neighborhood Priority Projects 40

Conclusion 42

About the Panel 43

Contents


Panel ChairMaureen McAveyExecutive Vice President, Initiatives GroupUrban Land InstituteWashington, D.C.

Panel MembersLewis BolanPrincipalBolan Smart Associates, Inc.Washington, D.C.

Elizabeth B. DavisonDirectorMontgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs

Rockville, Maryland

Barry ElbasaniPresidentELS Architecture and Urban DesignBerkeley, California

Patrick FoxPresidentSaint Consulting GroupHingham, Massachusetts

Jeff KaplanAssociateWulfeUrbanHouston, Texas

Raymond L. Kuniansky, Jr.Citiesouth Group, LLCAtlanta, Georgia

Ellen M. McLeanPartnerM2 ConsultingPittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Alvin McNealSenior Vice PresidentFraser Forbes Company, LLCMcLean, Virginia

ULI Project DirectorDeborah L. MyersonPrincipalDeborah Myerson Planning & Development Consulting

Bloomington, Indiana

ULI On-Site Coordinator Gerri TennysonConsultant

ULI Panel and Project Staff


The city of Springfield is at a pivotal point indetermining its future. It has an opportu-nity to overcome past troubles and realizeits potential as the region’s urban and cul-

tural center. Local leaders and citizens must makethe following decisions:

• How should the city capitalize on its assets andmake the most of its community and economicdevelopment efforts?

• How should the city prioritize its planning anddevelopment efforts?

IntroductionLeadership is at a critical transition point. The firstitem of business that citizens must address is howto rebuild the civic foundation of the city of Spring-field into something vibrant and sustainable. Resi-dents and workers must commit to building a newcity, recognizing the strengths and assets of whatis here, celebrating the energy and investment ofnew residents. In today’s competitive environ-ment, Springfield will not thrive and succeed if itspeople do not come together, share a common vi-sion, and get about the business of implementingthat vision with a steady and committed hand.

Next, the city must consider how to strengthenand diversify its downtown. The panel has identi-fied Springfield’s rich potential as the urban andcultural center of the Pioneer Valley. The Brook-ings Institution recently completed research onmore than 200 metropolitan areas of the UnitedStates. Virtually no metropolitan area is strong ifits central city is not strong. Safety and the per-ception of safety—especially as actual crime levelsare dropping—are threshold issues for employers,residents, and visitors alike. Many developmentand redevelopment projects have lingered on draw-ing boards for too long. Key projects, able to servea catalytic role in rebuilding the city, must be initi-ated at once and followed through to completion.

Foreword: The Panel’s Assignment

Lasting improvement will take more than the goodwork of a few. The panel heard that the city hasbeen known as both the “City of Homes” and the“City of Grudges.” The City of Homes needs tobe rekindled, and the City of Grudges needs to bepermanently buried. Springfield must pursuestrategies to realize the rich potential of its down-town and secure its place as a vibrant urban centerand cultural hub for the region. A strong downtownwill, in turn, be a vital support for the livelihoodof the city’s neighborhoods and provide an induce-ment for redirecting new retail, entertainment,office, and housing growth that has been movingto the suburbs.

The strong neighborhood associations must lookbeyond the borders of their own communities andengage in new ways with local and regional busi-nesses, with local and state government, and withthe media. The government and Finance ControlBoard cannot do this work alone. With a sharedvision of the future, people can focus on the tasksat hand and move on. Focusing on the past—whatcould have, should have, or might have been done—will not help the city move forward. Everyone

Springfield's musical andartistic attractions, suchas the Dr. Seuss sculpturegarden, make it a culturalhub for the region.


loses. Springfield has a comeback story to tell. Itneeds help from a variety of partners if the storyis to have a happy ending. Those potential part-ners must be engaged, educated, and enthusiasticabout making Springfield what it can be in the fu-ture, a thriving urban hub in the heart of the Pio-neer Valley.

Springfield has important decisions to make. Thecity has great resources: beautiful buildings, 35parks, and lovely rivers and ponds. Several majoremployers call the city home. Small businesses findthe city a great place for a startup. Most of all,Springfield has its people. Although the city hashad its challenges and troubles in recent years, thepeople of Springfield continue to have great pridein their city and are struggling to improve it.

The city must work for all, new resident or old, wellconnected or not. Transparency and ethical behav-ior must be the norm, not the exception. The hard,tough work being done now by the Financial Con-trol Board must continue until community valuesand practice meet the highest expectations of thepeople who love this city so deeply.

The Assignment Springfield is strategically located approximately35 miles north of Hartford, Connecticut, 90 mileswest of Boston, and 150 miles northeast of NewYork City. The city serves as a gateway to the

popular vacation area of the Berkshires. It is partof the financial, medical, and educational center ofwestern Massachusetts.

Over the past 15 years, both good things and badhave happened in Springfield. In 1992, state fund-ing was changed and Springfield lost approxi-mately 80 percent of its nonschool state aid, crip-pling local services. Over the years, crime hasincreased as gangs and drug trafficking gained afoothold in the city. Some middle-class residentschose to move to the suburbs, as in other commu-nities nationally. Some neighborhoods have startedto slide. Development projects floundered, andcorruption crept into segments of the public sec-tor. Neighborhoods seemed to turn inward ratherthan embracing the entire city and region.

On the positive side, primary businesses have con-tinued to expand: MassMutual Financial Group andBaystate Health have continued expansion withinthe city. Downtown has seen significant new re-gional cultural and civic spaces with the buildingof the convention center and the addition and ex-pansion of new museums. City leadership has beenrekindled. Business leaders are again taking holdand discussing new projects and investments. Thestate of Massachusetts has stepped in and assistedthe city with support in the form of the SpringfieldFinance Control Board. It is a new beginning.

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At this important juncture, the city asked theUrban Land Institute to convene a five-day Advi-sory Services panel to address specific issues con-fronting Springfield. The panel’s assignment wasboth broad and targeted to certain developmentprojects. The city asked the panel to undertakethe following:

• Consider the current position of Springfield, itsassets and opportunities, and its existing liabili-ties. Suggest a strategy for the city to leverageits available resources and encourage economicdevelopment, prioritizing its short-term, mid-term, and long-term planning and develop-ment efforts.

• Identify changes in current economic develop-ment programs and the process and approach toimprove the quality and quantity of private in-vestment, increase home ownership, and re-duce crime.

• Analyze and assess public projects that mighthave the greatest potential in the near term forSpringfield.

• Consider improved physical links within thedowntown, between downtown and the river-front, and between the downtown and theneighborhoods.

• Identify effective structures to carry out thestrategies identified by ULI.

• Suggest the panel’s view of Springfield’s marketand role within the region.

• Comment on economic development options re-garding the expansion of the existing industryclusters, health, financial services, education andtourism/arts. Identify measures to support thosestrategies. Discuss how to balance economic de-velopment efforts between attracting new com-panies and retaining existing companies.

Summary of RecommendationsIn light of these issues, the panel makes the fol-lowing major recommendations:

• Encourage strong community leadership fromthe highest level to step forward. Leaders at thehighest levels, across all sectors—public, pri-

vate, and community—must commit and engagepositively for Springfield’s success.

• Leave the Springfield Finance Control Boardin place for another term. Much needs to bedone in a relatively short time frame for the cityto regain its credibility and become a good placeto live and invest. The control board has hadsubstantial success, retaining a respected policecommissioner who is already showing results,resolving lingering labor contracts, and balanc-ing the budget. The efficiency and effectivenessof the control board can assist the city over thenext few years in focusing on tasks, not politics.New leadership needs to emerge to carry onwhen the control board steps aside.

• Make downtown the urban center of the PioneerValley, a great place to live, work, and play. Re-ducing crime is a threshold issue. Encouragingmarket-rate housing, additional amenities, andultimately more retail and entertainment willmake Springfield what it can be, not a stepsisterto other towns in the valley.

• Embrace diversity throughout city. Springfieldhas a rich ethnic and racial diversity that, withbroad engagement of the representative public,is a critical foundation for future progress. It istime to celebrate what Springfield is, not be-moan what Springfield is not.

Assisting the growth anddevelopment of existingsmall businesses inSpringfield stands to be amuch stronger economicdevelopment tool thannational or regionalrecruiting efforts.

reuse of the building would be for classroomsor a student center for one of the locally basedcolleges, which would bring energy and activ-ity to downtown.

• Demolish the York Street jail. The jail is a keydowntown property that has languished for toolong and stands as an extremely visible sym-bol of downtown stagnation. After the site iscleaned up and vacant, it will be available forthe right development opportunity.

• Develop a plan and implementation strategy forthe Gemini-Hollywood area in the South Endneighborhood. Redevelopment of this area canbe a catalyst for neighborhood revitalization.This area can and should become a thrivingcommunity with a mix of incomes and housingchoices. Necessary steps for the revitalizationof the South End neighborhood include think-ing of the area in its totality, not just as isolatedprojects; reducing crime; reducing density inthe Hollywood project and providing off-streetparking and play space; and encouraging agood mix of neighborhood-oriented retail onMain Street.

• Conserve Springfield’s neighborhoods. As the“City of Homes,” the city should engage itsmany civic and neighborhood associations tosupport efforts to protect the architecturalcharacter of the city’s residential neighborhoodswhile also building a shared sense of community.

Although many projects may be viable over time,the panel believes that Springfield’s highest atten-tion should be given to the following efforts:

• Solidify downtown as the preeminent employ-ment, urban, cultural, and visitor center for thePioneer Valley. Such efforts include:

• Adding more market-rate housing in a vari-ety of housing types to meet the market, suchas lofts, townhomes, condominiums, and sin-gle-family homes.

• Focusing attention on Court Square, includ-ing the redevelopment of the historic formerCourt Square hotel building. The ground-level uses and appearance of these buildingsare important to encourage pedestrians andmore-walkable connections in downtown.

• Planning for the adaptive reuse of the Fed-eral Building on Main Street. The city shouldgain control of the site and ensure that thesite is used in a manner that will supportdowntown revitalization efforts. Optimal


Leaders at the highestlevels, across all sec-tors—public, private, andcommunity—must com-mit and engage positivelyfor Springfield's success.


The city of Springfield is at a turning pointwith respect to its future, and everyone—-public officials, business leaders, communityorganizations, and residents—must be in-

volved in the choices at stake. These choices muststart with the commitment of community leadersto renew Springfield, promote good government,engage the diversity of its population, and achievefinancial stability. Some preconditions necessaryfor successful community development to occur inSpringfield include the following:

• Effective local government support;

• A culture fostering local civic pride and corpo-rate philanthropy;

• Sustained efforts to fight cynicism;

• Visionary developers;

• Regional cooperation; and

• A strong focus on economic development andwith dedicated staff to initiate and sustain these efforts.

Encourage Strong CommunityLeadership As the panel interviewed residents, business andinstitutional leaders, and community activists,panel members were struck that no common vi-sion exists of either what is “wrong” with the cityor how to put it “right.” Without a common vision,the necessary changes and identification of priori-ties are difficult to achieve. The leaders of the city,from its communities, businesses and institutions,and civic leadership (elected and appointed) mustcome together to work out a common sense of therole of the city and its desired future. Strong com-munity leadership must step forward from thehighest levels (see Figure 1).

To thrive as a community and ensure that Spring-field’s turnaround is enduring, Springfield’s citi-zenry must insist that at the city’s highest levelsall business leaders step forward to identify, em-brace, and opt into a plan to revitalize this greatcity. Strong leadership is imperative to create long-term, sustainable financial stability in Springfield.Leadership must also support Springfield’s plansto create jobs, to encourage investment, and topromote growth equitably across the whole city.

Government cannot be responsible for all things,however. Many more of its citizens must committo stand up and help Springfield move forward.Such improvement requires public/private part-nerships that reflect the city’s diversity. Going for-ward, business and neighborhood leaders mustcommit to engage positively toward the achieve-ment of a well-defined plan for economic health.Inclusivity is key to Springfield’s success. Thiscity’s wonderful ethnic and racial diversity mustinform the agenda for progress and serve as a crit-ical principle in engaging the public.

To achieve Springfield’s potential and establish arenewed civic foundation, the panel recommendsthe following:

• Renew the Springfield Finance Control Boardfor another term.

• Resolve inequities in nonschool state appropria-tions to Springfield.

• Reshape community attitudes for a positive out-look on Springfield’s future.

• Create and promote guiding principles for goodgovernment.

• Seek inclusiveness and celebrate diversity.

Leadership: Public, Private, and Community


Extend the Term of the SpringfieldFinance Control Board Outstanding work has been done—and continuesto be done—by the Springfield Finance ControlBoard (SFCB) and the city under the leadershipof Mayor Ryan. With many of the worst of itsproblems behind it, the city is well on the way torecovery. Thanks to massive belt tightening, fiscalrestraint, new labor contracts, new and improvedmanagement tools, and just plain hard work onthe part of many dedicated and talented people,the city is at or near fiscal solvency. It is dealingeffectively and realistically with its key problemsand key issues. Crime rates are beginning to de-cline. Municipal services are being improved, andfaith is being restored in local government.

The SFCB, with the city, has made significant prog-ress in a relatively short time. First and foremost,the business of government is now being conductedwithin the highest legal, moral, and professionalstandards. The strong partnership between theSFCB and Mayor Ryan has resulted in the achieve-ment of significant wins:

• A positive year-end 2006 cash balance;

• The signing of fixed, long-term labor agree-ments going out six to seven years;

• Significant health care savings through the re-assignment of Medicare-eligible employees to

Medicare and the adoption of the state’s healthcare plan;

• Significant improvements to delinquent tax col-lection, resulting in collection of $21.5 million, or47 percent, of the city’s tax title portfolio;

• Implementation of crime prevention strategiesby the new police commissioner to address fearand disorder and to build strong police and com-munity relations;

• Citywide departmental audits and assessmentswith strategic action plans that seek to auto-mate services and encourage efficiencies;

• Strong commitment to economic developmentwith appointment of a chief development officer;

• Deployment of significant resources to improveschool facilities and academic performance; and

• Highly qualified professional senior managersselected both from within and from beyond thelimits of the city’s boundaries.

Significant work remains for the SFCB, how-ever, if Springfield is to right the ship for its long-term sustainable recovery. The SFCB must re-main in place for another term to continue to makeprogress on these efforts. Despite fixed long-termlabor contracts and significant constraints won onhealth care growth, Springfield’s fiscal stability isfragile. Expenses continue to rise at a rate greaterthan revenues. Economic development and com-munity growth must occur to create jobs, encour-age investment, and promote growth equitablyacross the city. New initiatives for policing musttake hold.

The panel also heard from several intervieweesthat improvement in city schools, both in acade-mics and operational performance, is needed ifSpringfield is to attract families into its borders.Additionally, strategic action plans for coordinateddelivery of health and human services among agen-cies is imperative as Springfield continues tostruggle with social issues related to drug addic-tion, homelessness, poverty, and the like.

The SFCB and the city must continue together tostrengthen Springfield’s financial position. Cashbalances are not nearly sufficient. More time isneeded to streamline operations to deliver the mostefficient and effective services to the residents of

Figure 1Leadership for a Sustainable Springfield

Private Sector• Business leaders• Nonprofit organizations

Community• Citizens• Neighborhood associations

Public Sector• Finance Control Board• MassDevelopment• Elected representatives• City staff


Springfield. More time is needed to develop civicleadership among Springfield’s residents, busi-nesses, nonprofits, funders, and community orga-nizations. Allowing the dissolution of the SFCBin June 2007 would be shortsighted when so muchremains to do. The appointing authority, stakehold-ers, or both should set criteria by which to mea-sure the completion of SFCB’s agenda. Such mea-surable criteria will give residents the confidencethat the return to self-governance is advancing.

Resolve Inequities in StateAppropriations to SpringfieldOne immediate agenda item that must be a prior-ity for the leadership in the Springfield communityis righting the method used to allocate dollars inthe state’s Additional Assistance program. Stateallocation of Additional Assistance dollars is woe-fully out of balance.

Last year, Springfield—the third-largest city inMassachusetts—ranked 36th among municipalitiesreceiving funds from the Additional Assistanceprogram, which is one of two major sources of non-school aid. Distributions statewide from this pro-gram were reduced in the early 1990s and haveremained relatively flat since then, but initial re-ductions were inexplicably applied. Where Bostonand Cambridge experienced reductions in Addi-tional Assistance in 1992 of 18 percent and 21 per-cent, respectively, Springfield’s reduction in 1992was 84 percent. In 1991, Springfield received$14.3 million in additional assistance; in 1992, only$2.3 million was allocated. For 2007, Springfieldanticipates a distribution of $1.8 million, the sameas in 2006.

A real and targeted effort must be made to advo-cate for restoration of Springfield’s rightful alloca-tion to plan agenda items in the short term andparticularly to define priorities for new leader-ship. As Massachusetts’s third-largest city, with apopulation of 151,915, no reason exists why itshould receive so much less than a city the size ofCambridge (population 101,807), which received$17.9 million in 2005, or Worcester (population174,962), which received $11.8 million (see Figure2). Equity must be mandatory.

Springfield is not the only city in Massachusetts fac-ing the financial squeeze of limited revenue growth

and the rising costs of delivering municipal and edu-cational services. More and more cities and townsacross Massachusetts have been forced to reducemunicipal services as employee benefit costs riseand the demands to meet state and federal man-dates increase. Moody’s Economy.com, a Pennsyl-vania research firm, estimates that municipalitiesin Massachusetts reduced their workforces moresteeply than any other state in the nation between2001 and 2005. Although increases may have oc-curred in worker efficiency and productivity dur-ing that period, a careful look at staffing levelsnecessary to meet basic city services is required.Limited revenue-raising options will continue tostrain municipal finances unless action is taken toraise the distribution level of state aid to localities.

Reshape Community Attitudes for aPositive Outlook on Springfield’s FutureDuring the course of its more than 140 interviews,the ULI panel was struck by the amount and de-gree of negativism that came through from somany, particularly in the private sector, whichcan only be self-defeating and create a drag on re-vitalization efforts. At the risk of sounding naïveand possibly Pollyanna-ish, the members of thepanel were consistently more positive and moreoptimistic about the future of Springfield than

Figure 2State Additional Assistance Allocations, 2005

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Worcester174,962

Springfield151,915

Cambridge101,807

$278.66

$176.37

$ 67.50

$ 12.04


were the interviewees. Interestingly, the panelnotes that outside business interests—the so-called bottom feeders—are looking at develop-ment opportunities and real estate acquisitionpossibilities with far more enthusiasm than arelocal business interests. Perhaps outsiders seethings with a clearer, more unbiased eye. Theyare beginning to acquire properties at only a frac-tion of their replacement costs.

The media here, as in most cities, tends to focuson the bad and the sensational, often leaving amisleading impression. Nowhere is this tendencytruer than with respect to crime. Time and timeagain, the panel was told how unsafe the down-town is, how high the crime rate is, and how panelmembers should “watch our step.” However, thepanel found those reports generally overstatedand old news.

A review of crime statistics reveals that Spring-field’s crime rates are at the low end when com-pared with cities of comparable size. More encour-aging is the fact that for the first six months of2006, crime in Springfield dropped by 7 percent.Putting the crime situation in its proper perspec-tive—both the recent improvements and the de-gree of crime relative to comparable cities—is im-portant for the public’s accurate perception.Perception is often reality relative to people’s ac-tion and investment. The perception of crime ap-pears to be worse than the reality and is likelyharming the city’s investment climate.

Finally, the panel got the impression during itsinterviews that some people in the communityare stuck in the past, either remembering theglory days of yesteryear or the major problemsof the past few years. The need is to celebratethe future and work toward its realization. Aparticipatory planning or visioning process canassist in getting the leadership of the communityon the same page.

Create and Promote Guiding Principlesfor Good GovernmentTo continue with reforms and shape an ongoinggovernment that provides excellent service to thepublic, the city leaders need to instill a set of guid-ing principles throughout the entire city govern-ment, including elected and appointed officials of

the city and the many related agencies. Theseprinciples must be put on wall posters, be includedat the front of major documents such as budgets,be used for discussion with employees, and be partof personnel evaluations. These principles shouldinclude the following:

• Commitment to excellence;

• Adhering to the highest ethical standards;

• Ensuring high value for tax dollars;

• Insisting on customer satisfaction;

• Being open, accessible, and responsive;

• Appreciating diversity;

• Striving for continuous improvement; and

• Being accountable.

Celebrate Diversity and SeekInclusiveness The composition of the population of Springfieldhas become increasingly diverse. The 2000 U.S.census reports that the population includes sub-stantial numbers of residents of Hispanic, Asian,and African origin as well as African Americans.These findings represent a big change from earlierdecades when the majority of the population wasof European ancestry, even though they camefrom many different countries and spoke differentlanguages.

The culture of the community embodied by thecity in a leadership role must change to appreciatediversity and be inclusive of these many culturesin the community. Services must be provided, staffmembers who understand not only the languagesbut also the cultures of these populations must bein place, and initiatives should be pursued thatallow for more input from these communities indetermining the operation of the city and the deci-sions that are made.

Minority groups must be included in the outreachprocess. The city should particularly focus on theassimilation of the Hispanic population. Nearly25 percent of Springfield is under 25 years of age,and a large percentage of this demographic is His-panic. From taking civic leadership roles to theprocess of developing small businesses, the His-panic and African American communities should


be more engaged because they are a big part ofthe city’s future.

Local leadership, in both the public and privatesectors, needs to better reflect the city’s changingdemographics. The city’s minority population, nowin excess of 60 percent, hardly has representationcommensurate with its numbers.

Springfield elects a strong mayor; a nine-membercity council, elected at large, serves as the city’srepresentative legislature. Elections at large, how-ever, have not resulted in true representation ofSpringfield’s ethnically and racially diverse popu-lation. Some form of ward representation, whethermixed or not, should be considered to address thecritical issue of inclusiveness. It is the panel’s un-derstanding that the mayor and city council havetaken action on this matter and adopted a homerule petition, which requires state approval, for a13-member city council that would include eightward district and five at-large councilors.

A more representative local government andwidespread community engagement in public af-fairs—with the civic involvement of citizens andleaders that truly reflect Springfield’s popula-tion—are critical steps to move beyond the cur-rent transitional stage and achieve a healthy, vi-brant city for the long-term future. Specificsuggestions from the panel follow.

Continue Outreach and EducationIncrease staff in the mayor’s office and in key de-partments who are bilingual and bicultural. Thesestaff members must reach out to the ethnic com-munities to begin a dialogue to determine themost important service needs or difficulties theyhave in interacting with the city.

Fairs and outreach on city services and opportuni-ties for participation in community meetings anddecision making, local laws, and procedures couldbe held. Laws relating to building permits, hous-ing codes, and occupancy and maintenance as wellas rules about businesses in residential areascould be described at these meetings. Pamphletsand booklets in English should be developed aswell as in major languages, such as Spanish.

Celebrate the City’s Cultural Diversity Fairs, festivals, and parades provide excellent op-portunities to share the most interesting and ex-citing aspects of other cultures. Such events canfeature music, food, and arts and crafts and drawvisitors from throughout the region. Festivals andcelebrations can help create a sense of community,generate significant economic activity, and build acity’s reputation for diversity and livability. Inlight of these benefits, many cities dedicate finan-cial resources to staff and promote such events.Festivals and fairs can be fun and interestingwhile fostering the role of Springfield as the urbanhub of the Pioneer Valley.

The urban hub of thePioneer Valley, Springfieldis strategically locatedapproximately 35 milesnorth of Hartford, Con-necticut, and 90 mileswest of Boston.


Although Springfield’s population of about150,000 has been relatively constant since1990, the city has undergone significant de-mographic changes. Most-notable shifts have

been in the growth of residents under 18 years ofage—now nearly a quarter of the population—anda sharp increase in the Hispanic population, with23.9 percent of the population speaking Spanish athome. These trends mean the city of Springfieldmust take stock of its assets and determine how toreposition itself for future growth.

Understanding the Role of Springfieldin the EconomySpringfield has many assets that it can capitalizeon, including the following:

• Exceptional regional access;

• A vibrant mix of uses in the urban core;

• Architecturally significant buildings ripe for re-development;

• Abundant, convenient parking; and

• A 350-year history to showcase.

The third-largest city in Massachusetts, Spring-field is the cultural and economic hub of the Pio-neer Valley, which is the fourth-largest metropoli-tan area in New England. Springfield is home toseveral of the region’s largest employers, includ-ing MassMutual Financial Group, Baystate Health,Mercy Hospital, Inc., Smith & Wesson, and Big YFoods, Inc. In the past generation, the region hasexperienced a radial pattern of development char-acterized by growth pushing away from urban corecommunities, such as Springfield, to the inner sub-urbs and rural areas.

The planning and development strategies forSpringfield are intended to provide blueprints forundertaking a comprehensive effort to revitalize

the city’s central business district and conserve itswell-established neighborhoods. The strategiesseek to capitalize on the city’s multiple assets andto attract private investment that will reinvigo-rate these areas.

The strategies set forth are a series of interrelatedideas and initiatives that establish a framework tobetter position the city to achieve its full eco-nomic potential. The strategies are not static andmust constantly be adapted to evolving circum-stances and opportunities and address obstaclesas they occur.

Meaningful downtown development and neighbor-hood conservation cannot be accomplished cheaplyand quickly. Both the public and private sectorswill be challenged to assemble critical resources toimplement the strategies over time. These strate-gies will require upfront buy-in on their basic com-ponents and on the role each party needs to as-sume in their execution. Building this consensus isboth the culmination of the planning process andthe first step in implementing these strategies.

The value of the development strategies will bedetermined by the extent to which they stimulateredevelopment of downtown and conserve neigh-borhoods in the city of Springfield. Successful re-development will require a dynamic and iterativecollaboration, one in which innovative ideas areexchanged and new opportunities explored. Thedraft Downtown Plan, prepared in 2001, shouldcontinue to serve as a guide for redevelopment ofthis area. Many of the ideas captured in that docu-ment are not new and are similar to those used toguide development in downtown areas of manycities. What is unique in Springfield are the city’sattributes—its history, infrastructure, and demo-graphics—and how they could be leveraged tofacilitate a successful downtown resurgence.Downtown’s success, as the major employer, theregional cultural and civic center, and the area’sentertainment capital, is vital to the entire region.

Planning and Development Strategies


One common denominator of virtually all success-ful revitalization programs nationally is a vigorouspartnership between the private and public sec-tors. The city of Springfield must take the lead informulating a revitalization plan for its downtownarea and land use plans for its neighborhoods. Tobe successful, these plans must have the input ofthe private sector and the community.

Think Like a Master DeveloperSpringfield must begin to think like a master de-veloper to analyze and leverage its assets, improvethe development approval process and planningtools, and repackage vacant land. As an initial stepin this process, the city should identify its strengthsand leverage them. These strengths include loca-tion, transportation infrastructure, museum andcultural assets, and regional identity.

The program priorities that must guide the re-birth of Springfield’s downtown, rejuvenation ofits major commercial corridors, and conservationof its neighborhoods are as follows:

• Public safety: This is a minimal threshold issue.Concerns about public safety must be resolvedto establish public confidence in the downtownand in neighborhoods.

• Cleanliness: Patrons and residents must be con-vinced that their downtown and neighborhoodswill be consistently maintained as clean and at-tractive locations.

• Business attraction and retention: Simply put,the city must be dedicated to maintaining andgrowing existing, thriving businesses in its down-town and along its major commercial corridors.

Under its charter, the Springfield Business Im-provement District (SBID), which has existed forabout eight years, has responsibility for the day-to-day care and maintenance of the downtown,supplementing the efforts of the city’s Departmentof Public Works. Commentary about the SBID in-dicates that the time has come to examine its rolein achieving the full range of its mission within thecontext of a new downtown strategy. For instance,moving beyond its emphasis on beautification ofdowntown, the SBID could publicize recent im-

provements in public safety, promote access toample parking downtown, and seek to connect thegrowth of downtown residents with area busi-nesses. Focus should also be directed to ensurethat the SBID’s programs reflect the cultural di-versity of the city.

Analyze Real Property AssetsAt one time in Springfield’s development history,the approach of “if you market it, developers willcome,” may have been reasonable. With a stag-nant economy, limited city supports, and fewnew investors, however, this approach is nolonger appropriate. Additionally, demographicshifts and marketing changes are making avail-able buildings and land parcels that are strategi-cally located and can be recycled for other uses.Therefore, the city needs a realistic and achiev-able marketing strategy to maximize its returnfrom the development of its assets.

The goals of the analysis for each site should be to

• Determine how a property is positioned in themarketplace;

• Assess its advantages and disadvantages com-pared with those of its competition;

• Gauge the extent of developer interest; and

• Classify the site according to its readiness fordevelopment.

Downtown Springfieldhas ample parking, but itneeds to be programmedmore effectively to over-come the perception oflimited spaces.

As initial steps, the city should prepare a completeinventory of its available land parcels and evalu-ate and rank each according to when and how itshould be marketed for development. For exam-ple: “Priority 1” could be those sites that have suf-ficient private sector interest and are deemedready to market. “Priority 2” would include thosesites that have some private sector interest butwhere existing constraints that need to be over-come. “Priority 3” could include those sites thatnot only lack private sector interest but also needsubstantial and sustained city support to make thesite marketable. Nearby residential parcels couldbe bundled to create sufficient opportunity for aresidential developer to build ten to 20 single-family homes efficiently. By bundling assets, thecity may draw in larger area developers.

This real estate analysis should be the basis usedto market city-owned sites; it would be updatedperiodically. The analysis should also indicatewhether linking the site to public support pro-grams or economic development incentives wouldalter or improve a site’s ranking. The advantagewould be that only those sites that are ready fordevelopment would be in the work programs ofthe relevant city agencies.

Streamline the Solicitation ProcessThe selection of a development team for a spe-cific site is one of the most important aspects ofthe development planning process. The city nowprocesses approvals for development projects inmuch the same way as it procures goods and ser-vices: through the selection of applicants that re-spond to a request for proposals (RFP). This ap-proach is costly, time consuming, and mostimportant, does not recognize the highly sophisti-cated nature of real estate development transac-tions. Several developers interviewed by thepanel noted that the city’s solicitation process isnot well articulated by the city and is too time con-suming. A slow process can be a significant disin-centive for new private development.

The panel believes that the development processwould be markedly improved by removing devel-opment projects from the traditional procurementprocess. Instead, the city should strive for an effi-cient two-step request for qualifications (RFQ)and RFP process for major developments (more


than 20,000 square feet) to solicit and select devel-opers. This two-step process allows an emphasison marketing opportunities rather than on pur-chasing goods.

With an RFQ, the city asks interested parties tosubmit only their firm’s capability and experienceand any other information required to assess thefirm’s ability to develop a particular parcel. Select-ing potential developers based on responses to theRFQ allows the city to prepare a short list of de-velopers based on their experience, capacity, andother considerations—while significantly reducingthe time and expense for firms to respond com-pared to a full proposal. Subsequently, developersselected in the RFQ process are asked to respondto an RFP with very specific design and proposalrequirements. The panel believes that this ap-proach would yield responses from developerswith proven track records and speed up the city’sselection process.

Improve the Development Approval ProcessAction steps that the panel believes will improvethe city’s development approval process includethe following:

• Ensure that the new zoning regulations pro-vide flexibility in the application of parkingrequirements, establishing maximum, ratherthan minimum, space requirements for projects.Standards for shared parking, particularly inmixed-use developments, should be encouraged.

• Consider using experienced real estate brokersor consultants to expedite the marketing of city-owned sites to reach a broader regional audience.

• Use development solicitations as an opportunityboth to market Springfield and to negotiate thebest financial package (with the most reliable,credit-worthy developers). The distribution ofthe solicitation should be at least regional tomaximize access to “best practices.”

• Establish a realistic annual revenue goal foreconomic development projects based on thereal estate analysis.

Create a public service plan as a companion to the city’s annual budget. The public service planshould identify scheduled operations and mainte-


nance activities, establish annual expenditures,and link and leverage external public and privatefunds. Priority should be given to infrastructureimprovements along the major corridors: StateStreet, Harrison Avenue, and Main Street.

Members of the city’s economic development staffshould not only assist with the regional economicdevelopment efforts but also focus on the city, toimprove the process of development and the com-pletion of key projects.

Establish Criteria for Evaluating City ProjectsSpringfield benefits from the relatively low cost ofproperty and has many attractive developmentopportunities. The city has many significant devel-opment projects in the pipeline with varying de-grees of financing, control, and approvals in place,but it cannot allocate resources everywhere. Thecity needs to focus on projects that will have thegreatest effect on the city’s economic developmentefforts. Job creation, bringing people back to thedowntown, raising the quality of life in the city’sneighborhoods, raising property values, and lever-aging resources for maximum effect are key con-siderations.

The city should determine which projects shouldmove forward using public subsidy according tothe following criteria:

• Ability to generate consumer traffic in the keydowntown city center;

• Creation of significant skilled labor or living-wage jobs in the city;

• Capacity to leverage public or private invest-ment;

• Extent to which city funds are required (with a target leverage ratio of 1:3 for public/privatefinancing);

• Considerable improvement of quality of life in acity neighborhood;

• Positive effects on real estate values; and

• Net increase in local tax revenues.

Projects should be prioritized based on thesestrategic criteria, and those projects not measur-ing up should be put on hold to see if marketforces will improve their viability.

Enhance and Develop Critical Planningand Development ToolsThe panel believes that Springfield needs to im-prove its planning, zoning, and developmentprocesses. The city of Springfield has in placemost of the regulatory tools found in municipali-ties and urban areas: master planning, zoning,subdivision, and a recently developed Capital Im-provements Program. Yet existing procedures ap-pear confusing, cumbersome, and time consuming,in part because city responsibilities for land useregulation and approvals are spread among somany agencies and commissions. For example,currently the following bodies are each involvedwith land use regulation in the city:

• The nine-person, appointed planning commis-sion is responsible for recommending the Mas-ter Land Use Plan and neighborhood plans,liquor licenses, and changes to the city’s zoningand subdivision regulations and for submittingthese recommendations to the City Council forapproval.

• The Board of Appeals hears and decides peti-tions for variances.

• The city’s Redevelopment Authority approvesurban renewal plans and amendments to the 37existing urban renewal plans, with final ap-proval required from Commonwealth of Massa-chusetts’s Department of Housing and Commu-nity Development.

In real estate development, time is money—soa lengthy, burdensome process will discouragedevelopers. The panel urges the city to exploreways of consolidating these land use regulationfunctions. This consolidation could possibly beachieved by eliminating or combining some of thevarious reviews and approvals or, alternatively,creating a “one-stop shop” in the city for obtain-ing project permits.


The city’s planning and development processeswould also benefit from updating and streamlin-ing. Some of these efforts can be achieved locally;others require changes at the state level.

State Land Use LawsThe local impact of state land use laws needs to beconsidered. For example, Springfield’s planningcommission operates under the authority of sec-tion 81-0 of chapter 41 of the Massachusetts Gen-eral Laws. Unfortunately, the American PlanningAssociation describes Massachusetts as havingsome the most outdated state land use laws in thenation and notes that the effectiveness of the localland use authority is often hampered by confusingand unduly limited state law. Proposed changes tothe Massachusetts Land Use Reform Act are thefirst major updating of the commonwealth’s zon-ing in 30 years and of planning and subdivisioncontrols in 50 years, according to the PioneerValley Planning Commission.

PlanningNeighborhood and small-area master plans fo-cused on economic development play a role in pub-lic and private land use decision making. They ex-press and define a vision for the area for the future,give direction and certainty to private investors,and allow the city to allocate resources in a timelyfashion to support economic development. Withthe city’s wide-ranging budget and administrative

problems, however, the city has not given priorityattention to its land use planning activities.

The city developed a series of neighborhood plansin the 1990s and the existing master plan for thedowntown area was developed by a consultant in2001. The city’s existing comprehensive plan andneighborhood plans should continue to serve asguides to the city’s redevelopment. However, noneof these plans has been adopted by the planningboard or the city. Updating and adopting all ofthese documents should proceed posthaste. Thepanel understands that a principal planner whocan facilitate this process will be hired by the cityin the near future.

Many of the ideas captured in the city’s compre-hensive and neighborhood plans are being suc-cessfully tested and implemented in downtownsand neighborhoods across the nation. Springfieldmay wish to examine the experiences of Washing-ton, D.C.; Baltimore, Maryland; Cleveland, Ohio;and other cities that have approved similarchanges to their downtown plans.

Zoning Traditionally, zoning reflects policies in neighbor-hood and master plans. Without an adopted mas-ter plan, development and zoning decisions be-come more difficult to propose and approve.Developers and others feel a sense of unpre-dictability because the existing zoning cannot berelied on; such uncertainty can cause property val-ues to decline or stagnate.

In March 2006, the city initiated an effort to reviseand modernize its zoning regulations, enhance eco-nomic development opportunities, focus on theprocess and a better expression of communitygoals, simplify and clarify zoning districts, and ad-dress frequently raised questions about conflictingland use issues. The process is expected to becompleted in February 2007.

In Springfield, in contrast to other cities, zoningdecisions are often made through special permitsapproved by the City Council—without involve-ment of the planning commission. Yet the advan-tage of planning commission involvement is thatcitizens have an opportunity to debate a proposaland provide input in an informal fashion. Using

Among Springfield's mostappealing resources areits 35 parks.


the City Council–driven special permit approachessentially eliminates an opportunity for citizensto provide comments and input before the proposalgets into the political process. The new proposalsunder consideration by the city are intended tochange this process so that the site-planning deci-sions are made by professionals in the planningdepartment, not members of the City Council. Thepanel supports this administrative change.

Capital Improvements Program The Capital Improvements Program (CIP) is cur-rently prepared by the city’s Budget Office withlittle or no involvement of the Planning Commis-sion. As such, the CIP is more a budgeting than aplanning document. It provides a list of the city’sproposed capital expenditures without the neigh-borhood land use context. Therefore, its utility asa significant planning tool and, thus, an economicdevelopment tool, is limited. The panel recom-mends that the CIP be redrafted to model thosein other cities to improve its use by the city as aplanning and development tool.

Repackage Vacant LandSpringfield has many small lots of vacant land andstructures dotted throughout the city; however,like so many older communities, Springfield hasvery little vacant land in parcels of five acres ormore, primarily in the northeast quadrant of thecity. To support positive uses of city-owned vacantland, lots should be cleaned, grass cut, and vacantbuildings secured. These simple actions leave avery different impression on passersby than over-grown land and partially boarded buildings.

Given this lack of readily developable lots of sig-nificant acreage, the city’s need for specific devel-opment criteria is vital. (See section “EstablishCriteria for Evaluating City Projects,” page 19.)This land, which is primarily industrial in charac-

ter, needs to be redeveloped intensively. However,low-density warehouse or distribution-type facili-ties that generate relatively few jobs and modesttax revenues do not represent the highest andbest use for most of these parcels. Some of the lotscould become pocket parks, creating focal pointsfor new development and revitalized projects.

The city should create a Land Bank Authoritythat takes tax-delinquent land and holds it for fu-ture development, and the city should includethese abandoned or vacant lots as part of the realestate analysis previously described to determinetheir highest and best use. Land bank programsare an economic and community development toolto revitalize urban areas, improve tax revenues,expand housing opportunities, and remove publicnuisances. Whereas abandoned and vacant prop-erties lower property values, a land bank helpslocal governments transfer these properties backto responsible landowners more readily, turningthem back into usable parcels that support neigh-borhood health and vitality. In some cases, thehighest and best use may be as public space thatcan enhance the development potential of an ad-joining property or the larger neighborhood.

For the many smaller vacant lots spread aroundthe city, the panel recommends that the city con-sider bundling available city-controlled vacantland and structures in a targeted area, institutingneighborhood-compatible design standards, andputting the land out in a solicitation. In this way,vacant lots that are grouped together can go upfor bid by small builders to do neighborhood infillconstruction in an efficient manner that requiresless subsidy. The city should avoid large subsidiesof $100,000 or more per property.


Downtowns are destinations that provide richand diverse land uses for people to gather,live, work, and play. They are the centersfor business, commerce, and government.

Great downtowns have compact, walkable envi-ronments; architecturally significant buildings;arts and entertainment; parks; and housing avail-able for all income levels. When all of these attrib-utes come together, they provide citizens with agreat place and exceptional lifestyle. Springfieldhas all of these attributes. Few cities in Americacan boast this kind of walking environment andeasily identifiable districts.

Downtown AssetsSpringfield is the center of the Pioneer Valley re-gion: no other city or town in the region possessesits breadth of cultural offerings, historic built en-vironment, and architectural fabric. Residents andbusiness owners in the Pioneer Valley, especiallyin the surrounding suburbs, need to understandthat a vibrant Springfield benefits everyone.

Downtown Springfield’s museums, arts, theaters,and geographic centrality are major assets. Down-town Springfield has great market potential to po-sition itself as the cultural center for the PioneerValley region.

Historic Downtown and Cultural AttractionsThe historic buildings that characterize downtowncontribute to an atmosphere that is remarkablefor a city of Springfield’s size. Highlighting thisstreetscape is the Quadrangle with its concentra-tion of cultural facilities, Court Square with Sym-phony Hall and City Hall from the “City Beauti-ful” era, and the attractive residential MattoonStreet historic district.

Regional CentralitySpringfield is truly the gateway to the PioneerValley. That is much more than an advertisingslogan. Within two hours, Springfield is within

reach of well over 25 million people—an enormousmarketplace. Located at the intersection of I-91,I-291, and I-90/the Massachusetts Turnpike, Spring-field provides exceptional access to Boston andWorcester, Massachusetts; Hartford and NewHaven, Connecticut; and metropolitan New York.Interstate 91 alone carries more than 100,000 vehi-cles a day. Furthermore, Springfield has four trainsdaily to New York City and three trains daily toBoston. It serves as the headquarters of Peter PanBus Lines, one of the northeast’s largest coachcarriers, with service to more than 70 cities. Thiscentrality is an economic development tool whosepotential has only been partly realized.

Downtown LiabilitiesIn addition to its significant assets, Springfield’sdowntown has some real or perceived liabilities to consider.

High Vacancies in Office and Commercial SpaceA substantial inventory exists of unused or under-used older, primarily commercial, Class B andClass C buildings, many of which are functionallyobsolete. The office vacancy rate is in the 15 to 18percent range—or slightly more if available subletspace is considered. No new speculative or multi-tenant office space has been constructed in thecentral business district for more than 15 years.

With rents for the city’s four Class A office build-ings running in the range of $14 to, at most, $19per square foot, including operating expenses andtaxes, new private office construction cannot bejustified. Downtown’s 45 Class B office buildingsand 22 Class C office buildings have vacancy rateswell over 20 percent, with rents from as low as $6to $12 per square foot, inclusive of operating ex-penses and taxes.

CrimeDowntown is shared space for the city and regionand must be perceived to be safe for business con-

Downtown Market Potential

ditions to improve. The perception is that down-town is a high crime area, with a significant home-less population and numerous social problems.

Nevertheless, the reality suggests a more-positivepicture than is often reported. The city of Spring-field is actually safer than it was a year ago andshould be commended for taking significant stepsin addressing this issue. Under the city’s new po-lice commissioner, citywide crime is down by some7 percent just within the past six months. Today,600 walking patrols are on the street, up from only16 a year ago. When compared with cities of simi-lar size, Springfield actually has one of the lowercrime rates nationally.

On balance, the central business district clearlyneeds “shoring up,” which the panel believes isdefinitely attainable. Although this revitalizationwill not occur overnight, neither should it take anunrealistically long time with a real commitment—and a true partnership between the public andprivate sectors. The bottom line is that the cityhas a story that it can tell that should help decreasethe perception of increasing crime (Figure 3).

Opportunities for DowntownSpringfield’s downtown holds many opportunitiesfor its renewal and redevelopment. They includemaximizing the effect of the many local collegesand high-profile major employers, attracting newmarkets to downtown and comprehensively show-ing off the city’s cultural assets, and cultivatingnew residential and retail development downtown.

Higher EducationSpringfield’s colleges and major employers canplay a significant role in economic growth. As inte-gral engines of the city’s economy, they can seeknew ways to connect to the community. They canreconnect by moving certain back-office facilities,student housing, or classrooms to downtown. Com-munities throughout the country are using theircolleges as catalysts for urban revitalization.Springfield has several institutions of higher edu-cation within its borders, with approximately17,000 postsecondary students among SpringfieldTechnical Community College, Cambridge College,Springfield College, Western New England Col-lege, and American International College. Several

Above: The ULI panelrecommends developingdowntown Springfield asthe urban and culturalcenter for the PioneerValley. Left: Located atthe intersection of severalmajor interstate high-ways, Springfield is alsoreadily accessible by air,train, and bus.

Figure 3Springfield Police Department Crime Report Data

Crime 2005* 2006* Change Trend

Murder 8 9 13% Up

Rape 61 63 3% Up

Robbery 326 331 2% Up

Aggravated assault 925 825 –12% Down

Burglary 958 967 1% Up

Larceny 2,986 2,783 –7% Down

Motor vehicle theft 900 779 –13% Down

Total 6,164 5,757 –7% Down

*Comparison of the first half of 2005 and 2006.Source: Springfield, Massachusetts, Police Department.

23Springfield, Massachusetts, September 24–29, 2006


vocational training programs exist, both at thesecondary and postsecondary school levels. Spring-field is considered to have the state’s number-onesmall business creation program. The panel under-stands that at least one or two colleges, includingCambridge College and American InternationalCollege, are interested in moving supplementaleducational facilities downtown. The panel stronglyendorses exploring these options.

Students and younger people are often early mov-ers into revitalizing urban cores. Younger peoplegravitate toward city centers and environmentsthat offer urban energy. If the city of Springfieldwants these young people—especially its skilledpostsecondary students—to remain local, it mustcreate opportunities for them. Giving them a feel-ing of ownership in how the city center developsin the future is important.

Major EmployersThe city is fortunate in having three exception-ally large, active, and growing employers—MassMutual Financial Group, Mercy Hospital,and Baystate Health—employing a combinedtotal of more than 11,000 people in Springfield.In addition to being major employers, all haveproven to be outstanding corporate citizens whosecontributions to all aspects of the community areimpressive. The panel understands that the cityis not currently working with major employers onan in-city housing program. Through Fannie Mae,very good programs exist for employer-assistedhousing, which is an opportunity worth exploringto benefit both the city and employees.

Serving a regional clientele of close to 1 millionpeople, Baystate Health has become the 16th-largest employer in the Commonwealth of Mas-sachusetts. Its outreach efforts with the publicschool system, Tufts University School of Medi-cine, and the University of Massachusetts makeBaystate one of the best connectors for Spring-field and the Pioneer Valley’s growth. Further-more, as a provider of high-value-added services,Baystate Health is competing for medical profes-sionals from across the country. A vibrant citycenter would give Baystate a competitive edgewhen recruiting talent.

As the new economic development staff is hired, anoutreach program can be initiated to regularly callon large employers and small businesses to deter-mine whether the city can assist them and helptheir businesses grow. In the panel’s experience,assisting existing businesses has been the strong-est economic development tool—much greaterthan national or regional recruiting efforts.

Market Significant AttractionsAll of the stakeholders, including the Conventionand Visitors Bureau, economic development of-fices, Chamber of Commerce, and SBID, need tohave a common message regarding the amenitiesin Springfield and the Pioneer Valley area. Spring-field needs to collateralize the positive things hap-pening and tell its story.

MassMutual CenterThe new MassMutual Center is a thriving meet-ing, convention, and special events center and ananchor for downtown and the southern end ofMain Street. Over the next three to five years, itstands to be an excellent catalyst for additional re-tail development and possibly a hotel in the nextten years.

TheatersWell over 100,000 people a year attend the city’sshows and events at both CityStage and Sym-phony Hall throughout a production season. Oneof the challenges is to figure out how to packagethese amenities when marketing the city. Thehotels, restaurants, and other public amenitiesmust join forces.

Expand Opportunities Downtown forVarious Housing Types A clear need exists for new market-rate andworkforce housing to be brought into the down-town market. Many of the vacant or underusedClass B and Class C office buildings are historicstructures that offer substantial potential foradaptive use, particularly housing, within a short- tomedium-term time frame. Because a significantamount of subsidized multifamily housing alreadyexists downtown for households of low to moder-ate incomes, the panel recommends that any re-


habilitation of these buildings for housing be formarket-rate units. A healthy balance of varioushousing types should be available, and varioushousing options should be explored.

Student HousingStudents are one of the few demographics that aregenerally more prone to pioneer living in a transi-tioning urban neighborhood. Provided the areahas convenient connections to the colleges, throughreliable mass transportation or by foot, studentsare in less need of other amenities that currentlydo not exist downtown. Springfield TechnicalCommunity College, with an enrollment of ap-proximately 6,000 students, mostly commuters,has expressed an interest in exploring opportuni-ties for downtown student housing in the future.

Housing for ArtistsArtists are also early movers in downtown revital-ization efforts. They like the authenticity found inthe architecture of older buildings and are gener-ally more accepting of a “gritty” urban fabric. ArtSpace, a national developer of subsidized artisthousing, had recognized a need for artist housingseveral years ago in the proposed development atthe Gemini site. These efforts should be strategi-cally refocused downtown. A high concentration ofartists already lives in the region. Significant artfestivals take place in the area, most notably the

Crafts and Arts Festivals in Northampton. Thepanel feels that the low cost of housing in Spring-field, coupled with the proximity to Northampton,means a realistic opportunity exists to pull artistsinto Springfield’s downtown.

Even though both student and artist housing mayrequire subsidies, these subgroups are not per-ceived by the real estate market and wider com-munity as typical affordable subsidized housing.Artists and young creative people are seen by thereal estate market as a leading indicator that aneighborhood is about to turn around.

Affordable HousingAs market opportunities for downtown housingexpand, keeping affordable and workforce housingin the area will be important. Currently, afford-able housing is not an issue, because most housingin downtown would be considered affordable.

Expand Retail Development“Lifestyle retail” is an expanding trend throughoutthe country as cities create new urban centers toattract a growing class of street-oriented retailers—as well as customers—who do not want to beenclosed in traditional shopping malls. Lifestyleretail centers tend to be pedestrian-friendly, open-air developments with distinctive architecture,

The MassMutual Center is a thriving meeting, convention, and specialevents center and ananchor for downtown and the southern end of Main Street.


typically blending mixed uses associated with atraditional main street. These centers are vibrantplaces where people can live, work, and play—andgather in public spaces that feel like part of a com-munity. To its benefit, Springfield already has anauthentic urban district. It does not need to focuson building one, rather on merchandising andbranding the one it has.

One example of a retailer seeking this type of envi-ronment is American Apparel, a socially conscious,youth-directed Los Angeles–based clothing manu-facturer and retailer. The company goes after thislifestyle retail market by gravitating specificallytoward the urban fabric of pioneering street loca-tions. In doing so, American Apparel has become acatalyst for additional retail to follow.

Identify and Attract Target Markets for DowntownAs part of its market analysis focusing on revi-talization for Springfield’s urban core, the panelconsidered the likely demographics that would beattracted to living downtown as essential prepa-ration. Households with grown children (emptynesters) and people in their mid-20s or younger(Generation Y) are two likely candidates. In addi-tion, the panel examined the components for a suc-cessful retail/commercial strategy that can trans-

form downtown Springfield into a notable retaildestination.

Empty Nesters This group has an institutional memory of whatdowntown Springfield used to be. It is their city.Bars are generally not this demographic group’smain interest, but cafés and good retail are. Only a few diverse restaurants are needed to capturesome of these people.

An opportunity also exists to cross-pollinate traf-fic from other events and attractions in Spring-field. Empty nesters are prime markets for bothurban housing and retail. Census data indicatethat only about 2 percent of all American house-holds have children under 18 years of age. Withapproximately 75 percent of the market withoutyoung children, cities have found ready consumersfor urban offerings.

The Youth Market The youth market, often referred to as GenerationY, is becoming immune to traditional advertisingfound in shopping malls and is demanding authen-ticity. They rebel from suburbs and shoppingmalls. They crave authenticity found only in cities.

Focus on the Right Tenant Mix The many bars now within the central area attracta narrow range of customers. While some stores

No other city or town inthe region possessesSpringfield's breadth ofcultural offerings, historicbuilt environment, andarchitectural fabric.


cater to the needs of a daytime working popula-tion, choices for shopping downtown are currentlylimited. Although retail growth downtown is im-portant, perhaps an even more critical step for re-vitalization efforts is cultivating and attracting theright tenant mix.

For the most part, the downtown merchandisingmix should seek to be completely different fromanything else in the region. Avoid the chain retailfound in malls and power centers. Shopping down-town is more difficult, so distinctive shops canmake the customer’s time and effort worthwhile.The goal should be to create a retail destinationthat is unique for the Pioneer Valley region.

Large, national credit department stores are nolonger a viable anchor for downtown. However,specialty retail and restaurants, with an emphasison locally owned businesses, should be an impor-tant emphasis for the next two to three years. At-tracting a few small national tenants could also goa long way. For example, the city could focus ongetting an additional Starbucks downtown. Withthe current daytime office population, this goal isrealistic in the next one to two years. A Starbuckswould also be seen as a litmus test for the turn-around of downtown.

With high vacancy rates in the downtown officemarket and the limited spending power of currentdaytime workers, new offerings to draw visitorsand regional residents should be part of the eco-nomic development strategy. As downtown be-comes healthier, with new housing and office, thismarket will expand naturally.

The panel heard various opinions about the city’s“entertainment district”: the Mardi Gras and othersex-oriented businesses on and around Worthing-ton Street in the central area. Some intervieweesfelt that this type of entertainment district poses athreat to developing a vibrant downtown, whereasothers maintained that these businesses form afinancially viable core that constitutes a not-in-significant source of revenue. The panel recom-mends a compromise: this entertainment districtshould not be encouraged to expand beyond itspresent confines, and these businesses must betightly controlled and monitored so as not to in-duce a perception of crime in the area.

Cluster Businesses Downtown for Street Synergy Urban retail districts are a reflection of a neigh-borhood’s or city’s soul. Main Street should beknown as having the most distinctive retail envi-ronment in the Pioneer Valley region. Whereas ashopping mall or strip center retailer relies on thesynergy found in the proximity of its cotenants,urban retailers rely on a more-random synergyfrom clustering near other storefronts, preferablyindependent businesses that offer a distinctive, in-teresting streetscape.

Although Main Street can become the “soul ofSpringfield” and draw from the entire city andregion, other neighborhood retail markets canemerge throughout the city. Opportunities to cre-ate smaller, walkable urban retail districts exist inother areas. As the South End becomes more se-cure, the State Street corridor and Central Streetare good candidates for this type of revitalization.Nationally, some communities have had success increating specialty shopping districts to anchorneighborhood commercial such as antiques, homefurnishings, and the like.

Parking Easy access to parking is essential to the successof any retail business, but parking does not haveto be directly in front of the store. Parking neednot destroy an urban streetscape to be effective.

Many downtown restau-rants and shops cater tothe needs of a daytimeworking population. Newofferings should besought to draw visitorsand regional residents.


An urban retail district should have some nearbystreet parking, surface lots, and parking garages.

Ample parking exists in downtown Springfield; itsimply needs to be programmed more effectivelyto overcome the perception of limited parking.Customers need to know where to park and musthave assurance that parking is safe and secure. Toallow downtown and Main Street to develop, thecity should also consider offering free parkingafter 5 p.m. and on weekends.

Seek Higher Occupancy in ExistingDowntown Commercial SpaceBefore Springfield focuses on new construction,more absorption is needed of what is availabletoday. Alternative uses for existing retail andhotel space need to be explored creatively and ex-haustively, including as back-office and educa-tional facilities. Some of the existing Class B andC buildings may be able to be converted to resi-dential. The hotel occupancy rate should increasebefore the city builds any new hotels.

The panel heard talk of a boutique movie theaterthat could take over the old USFO store space inthe Tower Square mall. This very creative use ofdead space could have several benefits: (a) as anew concept to the region, it would pull from alarger trade area than most other retailers would;(b) a niche theater could be programmed for cor-porate conferencing and classroom space duringthe day (a great amenity to the offices); (c) itwould be an anchor representing a shift in down-town retail.

Springfield, Massachusetts, September 24–29, 200629

The center of Springfield can be defined asthe area surrounding Court Square. OnMain Street, Court Square houses govern-ment offices, Symphony Hall, office build-

ings, and the MassMutual Center and offers excel-lent opportunities for mixed-use development. Inaddition, downtown can draw on the many neigh-borhoods, parks, and colleges of Springfield thatare within a 15-minute drive from Court Square.

Springfield’s downtown can be broken down intotwo general areas:

• Urban Core: the area from Symphony Hall tothe Museum Quadrangle and from WorthingtonStreet to Union Street, all destinations that areno more than a ten-minute walk from CourtSquare; and

• Metro Center: the area along Main Street fromthe Arch to South End and along the river tothe new Federal Building, all destinations thatare no more than a 15- to 20-minute walk fromCourt Square.

Given the broad scope of the questions presentedto the panel and the city’s limited resources avail-able to carry out recommendations, the panel de-cided to focus on the Urban Core and Metro Cen-ter areas as defined here. These areas potentiallyhave the greatest effect on the city as a whole andcan spur future development and investment.

The Urban Core is made up of various districtsclose to one another that are clearly definable butnot well connected. Despite their proximity to oneanother, a perception exists that these districtsare not easily navigable on foot. People who visitSpringfield need directional assistance to knowwhere they are and how to move from district todistrict. An example is the Mattoon Street area,which is adjacent to the Museum Quadrangle; yeta visitor at the museum would not necessarily

walk into this architecture-rich housing districtbecause nothing invites visitors in.

Readily identifiable graphics and signage caneasily guide a visitor from one district to an-other. Historical markers should be expanded andprominently placed to highlight the significance ofa location or building, giving the reader a sense ofthe past. In addition, a visual and environmentalhierarchy of streets should be delineated to con-nect the various districts, particularly along majorarteries such as Main Street and State Street andsecondary routes such as Court, Dwight, andChestnut streets. An enhanced streetscape willpresent a physical road map for visitors and localsalike to follow and enjoy the beauty and history ofSpringfield.

Main Street needs to feel like a main street. Itshould be a vibrant mix of uses, including office,hotel, restaurant, retail, the arts, and housing. Toenhance the area, the streetscape project that wascompleted around Court Square should be contin-ued from the Arch to the South End (that is, im-

Downtown Design Elements and Key Projects

Clearer downtown linksand directional assistancewould help visitors movefrom one nearby districtto another, such as fromSpringfield's MuseumQuadrangle to the adja-cent Mattoon Street resi-dential historic district.

proved sidewalks, lighting, trees, highly visiblesignage, banners, benches, and the like).

Improvements to State Street should be coordi-nated and consistent with the quality that hasbeen completed at Court Square. In addition, Pyn-chon Park at East Court Street should be the con-necting point from Court Square to the museumdistrict just up the hill and therefore include simi-lar streetscape materials. Key intersections shouldhave pavement changes, highly visible directionalsignage, crosswalks, and appropriate lighting. Thecity should establish walkable gateways to theUrban Core along Main Street at the Arch andat the South End.

State Street is the primary boulevard into theMetro Center, a residential collector, and the gate-way to colleges, schools, the new Federal Build-

ing, and the MassMutual Center. Again, the streetimprovements should be coordinated with thosealready made along Main Street. MassMutual andthe colleges along State Street should be encour-aged to create people-friendly entrances to theircampuses. The schools should consider placingstudent centers along State Street. This strategywill bring people and activity to the street andmake State Street the gateway to downtown thatit should be.

Priority Projects The panel examined several potential areas of in-terest for the redevelopment of downtown, priori-tizing the ones of greatest interest as short-termprojects warranting immediate attention (in thenext one to two years) and mid-term projects thatshould follow in the next three to five years.


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Springfield’s Urban Coreis made up of clearlydefinable districts that areclose to one another butnot well connected withappropriate signage.


Short-Term Priority ProjectsFollowing are projects that could have immedi-ate positive effect and influence future develop-ment activities.

Court Square-Court Square Building. This key CourtSquare site, across from the MassMutual Center,is strategically located in the heart of the down-town city center. The city controls the site. CourtSquare and the adjacent buildings, the Byers Blockand 1250 Main, all built between 1835 and 1892,are some of the city’s oldest structures. They arebeautifully detailed in a way that cannot be re-produced today.

Redevelopment of the Court Square building iscomplicated by the lack of adjacent parking buthas great potential as a mixed-use facility withmarket-rate housing and ground-floor retail. This

redevelopment would capitalize on the investmentto develop the MassMutual Center and appropri-ately complement the Courthouse, City Hall,Symphony Hall, and church that currently sur-round the square.

The panel recommends that:

• The city designate this project as a priority anddevelop criteria for the reuse of the building;

• The city consider investing the necessary fundsto acquire property behind the building to cre-ate a parking deck for the development;

• The city consider incentives if necessary to makethe project feasible for development, using aminimum of a 3:1 private/public investmentratio; and

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Distinct downtown dis-tricts are perceived as noteasily navigable on foot.The outline overlays afootprint of Springfield’sEastfield Mall on down-town; the arrows indicatecommon access pointsthat mall customers walkeasily. The overlay illus-trates the proximity of dif-ferent parts of the UrbanCore and the South Endneighborhoods from apedestrian perspective.


One promising potential use that the panel heardwould be as a downtown campus for one or moreregional colleges and universities, bringing bothenergy and activity to the downtown. Examplesexist throughout the country of cities incorporat-ing these types of educational facilities into urbancores. In Chicago, Roosevelt College, a predomi-nately minority commuter school, took over a for-mer department store for its downtown campus.The University of Texas took over a former officebuilding for a downtown campus in Houston. Suchuses provide an anchor for this part of Springfieldand bring students, faculty, and administrationand their buying power into the area.

The Main Street space is an effective retail use tohelp create more pedestrian life at this intersec-tion. For example, it could be used as a restaurantrun by the Culinary Arts School or as a bookstore.

• This project go out for RFQ/RFP as soon as cri-teria and a developer package of informationcan be prepared.

Old Federal Building on Main Street. Located in theheart of the central business district, this buildinghas been a destination for many years. When thenew Federal Building opens, closure of the oldbuilding will diminish pedestrian traffic in thispart of the city. The city should take the necessarysteps to gain control of the site, if possible, and en-sure that the site is used in a manner that willbest help downtown revitalization efforts. Idealnew uses for the site would continue the prop-erty’s role as a destination and an anchor for thisarea of downtown. The treatment of the street-scape and first floor of the property is extremelyimportant to the feeling of this district.

Short-term priority proj-ects: The city should startwith the redevelopment ofkey areas in the UrbanCore and the South End.

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The panel recommends that the city:

• Engage with the appropriate people at the Gen-eral Services Administration to determine thedetails of the federal departure from the build-ing; and

• Enter into conversation with the interested ed-ucational institutions about locating in the facil-ity with a goal of filling the space as quickly upondeparture of the federal occupants as possible.

York Street Jail. The jail is a key downtown prop-erty that has languished for years. Although thebuilding has historic and architectural interest, noeconomic or market use has been found for theproperty since its closure many years ago. Thepanel concurs that this property should be torndown. Sale or reuse of the building is not feasiblebecause of its condition and the extraordinary

costs associated with any rehabilitation. The jailstands as an extremely visible symbol of down-town stagnation. Environmental remediation is al-ready underway, and plans to demolish the jailshould continue to be a priority for the city. Afterthe site is cleaned and vacant, the city can wait forthe right development opportunity that will meetthe criteria outlined by the panel.

Mid-Term Priority ProjectsThe following mid-term priority projects suggestvital next steps for downtown redevelopment ac-tivity.

The Main Street and State Street Corridor Improve-ments. Corridor improvements along Main andState streets are critical to the success of theother mid-term projects below. Priorities mayneed to be shifted to address the needs on Main

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Mid-term priority projects:For downtown, the panelrecommends adding mixeduses to downtown park-ing ramps and better de-fining the retail hub aroundthe Apremont Trianglearea. The South Side hasexcellent potential to ex-tend the residential marketfor the Smith CarriageCompany District.


Street from the Arch to South End. Included inthese corridor improvement plans should be amajor wayfinding signage program that directspeople to places of interest as well as clearlymarking public parking. Parking in downtown isreadily available and can be improved throughbetter signage, lighting, and enhanced streetscapetreatment. Connections to the river can be easilyaccomplished through upgraded landscaping, im-proved sidewalks, lighting, and a graphic arts pro-gram at the foot of State Street as well as CourtStreet where they merge at the river’s edge.

Downtown Parking Lots. Several downtown park-ing lots offer potential redevelopment sites asmixed-use facilities. The Civic Center deck, cur-rently slated to be turned over to the conventioncenter, torn down, and rebuilt, could be wrappedwith retail or housing on the Dwight Street andHarrison Avenue sides. The East Court side couldprovide separate parking for the MassMutualConvention Center.

The incentive to a developer to build market-ratehousing could be a lower land cost with infrastruc-ture that includes separate private parking for theresidents. As the market dictates, the same con-figuration could be used for a second phase of theproject on the parking lot across Harrison Av-enue. At a minimum, policy changes would requireall parking lots to put attractive facades on sidesfacing the public.

Apremont Triangle Area. This intersection shouldbe the neighborhood retail hub of the area. A bet-ter pedestrian connection is needed to the Mat-toon Street housing. This area should also be thewestern anchor for the Museum Quadrangle justtwo blocks to the east. In addition, Pearl Streetcould be enhanced to be an attractive gateway tothe Apremont Triangle area.

Future Downtown Development: Union StationInformation presented to the panel led it to con-clude that the cost of quality renovation far ex-ceeds the value of the investment for Union Sta-tion, and the current market rents simply will notsupport it. As other downtown projects are com-pleted, market conditions around Union Stationshould improve and the project’s overall financialfeasibility would be enhanced. Currently, however,the degree of subsidy required poses serious chal-lenges at a time of scarce public resources andweakened private market conditions in downtown.The panel recommends that additional work onthis project be postponed until a better plan canbe developed with well-defined links and connec-tions with the surrounding neighborhood.

Although funds are available from state and fed-eral sources to move forward with the develop-ment of an intermodal transportation facility here,the panel did not believe that the project wouldhave any significant community developmentbenefits beyond increased ridership. It would notact as a catalyst in the near term for surround-ing developments.

Any necessary steps should be taken to secure thefunding. The struºcture should be secured andprotected from additional deterioration becausethe building is architecturally significant. Whenthe commuter-train proposal is real and othermarket indicators are positive, then—and onlythen—will spending the amount of money neces-sary to create a destination out of Union Stationbe worthwhile.

Springfield, Massachusetts, September 24–29, 200635

Beyond its downtown, Springfield continuesto impress, with its outstanding housingstock, the beauty of the Connecticut River,and the city’s wonderful network of parks—

including its crown jewel, the 735-acre Forest Park.The many local parks provide recreation, while thetree-lined streets and intact architectural featuresmake for many beautiful and desirable neighbor-hoods. Several historic districts dot the area, in-cluding Forest Park, Lower Maple, McKnight Dis-trict, and Mattoon. These neighborhoods by andlarge are low-density single-family neighborhoods,with some two- and three-family homes.

As the backbone of the city of Springfield, theseneighborhoods merit close attention to strengthencode enforcement and conserve their architecturalintegrity. Engaging the city’s many civic and neigh-borhood associations is also an important step tostrengthen Springfield’s communities.

A City of HomesSpringfield has always been known as a city ofhomes. The city’s collection of Victorian houses isan asset whose potential has only been touchedupon. Spread throughout many of the city’s resi-dential neighborhoods, a number of these homeshave been handsomely and tastefully restored,while an even greater number await restorationand modernization. The panel has observed liter-ally dozens of houses where considerable deterio-ration and erosion undermine their viability andlivability. As will be discussed, a number of toolsand techniques can be used to provide high-qualityhousing and in the process ensure the continuedhealth of the city’s older neighborhoods. The widerange of types and prices of houses that the cityoffers is a further community asset.

Many of the city’s 17 residential neighborhoodsare older, with houses that have interesting anddesirable architectural features. Neighborhoods

range in size from under 4,000 to more than 25,000people. Median household incomes range from thelow $20,000 range to the mid-$40,000 range, ac-cording to the 2000 U.S. census. An enormous di-versity of populations exists, but virtually all haveone characteristic in common: a strong sense ofneighborhood and community. The neighborhoodcouncils serve as watchdogs, guardians, and advo-cates for what they view as their best interests.They guard those prerogatives jealously and, onthe whole, to the benefit of their neighborhoods inparticular versus the community in general. Al-though neighborhood pride is laudable, the com-munity groups also need to regularly considerwhat is best for the city as a whole: more jobs, vis-itors, a healthy downtown, and a reputation forgood government are critically important ele-ments for each and every neighborhood’s long-term economic health.

By the standards of most medium- and larger-sized cities in the northeast, Springfield’s housingis remarkably affordable. Dollar for dollar, Spring-field residents get more for their money than do

Conserving Springfield’s Neighborhoods

Neighborhood conserva-tion efforts would helpmaximize one of the city’soutstanding assets: itscollection of beautiful Vic-torian homes, many ofwhich await restorationand modernization.


residents almost anywhere else in the PioneerValley—and a real housing bargain compared toresidents of Massachusetts living farther to theeast. Median prices of single-family housing areunder $150,000, with a few very desirable areas inthe mid $300,000 to $400,000 range for large, well-maintained homes in very attractive neighbor-hoods. A house that sells for $200,000 in Spring-field would sell for more than twice that amount incomparable areas of metropolitan Boston and for50 percent more in the Worcester area.

While Springfield’s low cost of housing provideslimited comfort to those of low income whosehousing needs are real, it offers a real opportu-nity for middle- and higher-income households inthe community to improve their standard of liv-ing. Furthermore, it can serve as a real stimulusfor outsiders considering Springfield and as amajor tool in the community’s economic develop-ment efforts.

On the basis of price, square footage, and archi-tectural character, the attractive housing stock inSpringfield has made it a bedroom community forthose working in Hartford, Connecticut, and else-where in the Pioneer Valley. In the Washington,D.C., area, for example, with its very high housingcosts, an increasing number of people live in Balti-more, which has more modest housing prices, andcommute daily to the D.C. area. The city of Balti-

more runs an extensive advertising program inthe Washington area to encourage this phenome-non. A similar “come home to Springfield” mar-keting campaign should be considered in Hart-ford and surrounding communities throughoutthe Pioneer Valley.

In contrast, Springfield’s reasonable housing costsdiscourage new residential construction or sub-stantial privately financed rehabilitation and mod-ernization of older housing units. Given today’sconstruction costs, new privately developed andfinanced units cannot compete economically withthe prices for existing housing. The large size ofmany of the older homes presents problems inthat rehabilitation is more costly and operatingexpenses higher than in newer houses. Houses of3,000 to 4,000 square feet are not uncommon.

Conserve Neighborhoods The panel encourages the city to increase itsneighborhood planning efforts by working withlocal residents and businesses. Generally, neigh-borhoods and even areas within neighborhoodsfall into three broad categories:

• Conservation areas: Housing stock is at strongmarket values and well kept. City strategy:Public improvements, amenities, and enhance-ments.

• Rehabilitation areas: Housing stock showssigns of deterioration; commercial areas areweakening. City strategy: Targeted code en-forcement; encourage rehabilitation with loanprograms, working with banks; encourage spotnew construction.

• Spot redevelopment areas: Housing showsmajor deterioration, major code violations, sig-nificant disinvestment, and underinvestment.City strategy: Encourage catalytic projects tobring neighborhood back: housing, commercial,or mixed use.

A city is always a mix of downtown areas andneighborhoods. In Springfield, neighborhoods arefeeling the stress of recent city woes. Many neigh-borhoods have seen middle-income householdsmove to suburban areas where the perception of

Many of the city’s 17 resi-dential neighborhoods areolder, with houses thathave interesting anddesirable architecturalfeatures.


rising property values was greater than in the city.Problems of code violations and absentee land-lords who do not maintain the neighborhoods werereported in many neighborhoods. Especially in theolder areas with large houses, some have beenturned into multifamily residences, often ownedby absentee landlords. And many two- and three-apartment multifamily houses, of which one unitwas traditionally owner-occupied, are now all-rental occupancies.

Multifamily developments of four stories built asapartment buildings also dot many areas. The panelheard from neighbors about crime, lack of upkeepof some units, trash, and lack of cohesivenesscaused by turnover of tenants and the multicul-tural environment. In addition, illegal small busi-nesses, such as repair shops and automotive busi-nesses, are moving into garages while the older,small local retail strips sometimes lack tenants.

While older housing stock is at risk of deteriora-tion and disrepair, new construction is at low ebb.In 2005, only 126 permits were issued for new con-struction of single-family housing, compared with317 in 1986 for similar housing. Although Spring-field’s relatively low prices and low rents are at-tractive to the occupants, extensive rehabilitationor new construction find competing within thatsame price range difficult, leading in some cases to lack of maintenance.

Engage Civic and Neighborhood AssociationsThe panel met with many civic groups who arepassionately interested in their neighborhoodsand the quality of life there. Many said few peopleactually participate in their organizations, buteach has a dedicated core of activists. The panelheard from more than a dozen neighborhoodgroups that are involved with code enforcementand planning issues.

These neighborhood groups can be important part-ners with the city in developing revitalizationstrategies as well as local land use plans to keepthese older areas in sound condition and very liv-able. The panel suggests the following strategies.

Strengthen Code Enforcement The city has made great strides in its code en-forcement operation in the past few years. Much

of it is automated, with a website that allows fil-ing of online complaints and provides a list ofproperties with complaints. The inspectors havehandheld devices and technology that allow themto do much of their work electronically in the field.They have partnered with the court system tohave several days a week set aside for code en-forcement cases. The city should be congratulatedfor this work.

Some areas that still need improvement are aquicker turnaround of inspections after com-plaints come in. Access to residential units is es-pecially important, and a change in laws or courtprocedures might be needed to get inspectors intoa unit in a timely fashion to deal with rental prop-erties with code violations or complaints of sus-pected violations. In addition, a “demolition byneglect” statute should be implemented (if cur-rently not in place) and enforced in target neigh-borhoods. This law would allow the city to cite ne-glectful property owners quickly and, if necessary,demolish a property before it becomes a haven forcriminal activity or blights nearby properties.

By establishing stronger and more active partner-ships with other agencies and the courts, code en-forcement staff can work creatively with the po-lice on suspected drug houses. Sometimes drughouses can be shut down because of code viola-tions when police cannot readily gain evidence ofspecific criminal activity. The agencies that dealwith illegal or unlicensed businesses can also bepartners in code enforcement.

The civic associations can be partners and proac-tive in code enforcement, as they have been inthe past. Expanded activities can be developedthrough these partnerships, which neighborhoodassociations can sponsor, such as the following:

• Cleanup days where people put out unwanteditems on the curb for pickup;

• A local letter campaign to residents that includesa checklist of things a resident can do before theinspectors come, such as repairs to porches, fix-ing peeling paint, removing unused building ma-terials or other debris in the yard; and

• Production and distribution of multilingualbrochures on code enforcement.


Lynchburg, Virginia, the homesteading programadministered by the Lynchburg Redevelopmentand Housing Authority provides prospective home-buyers the opportunity to purchase for a dollar ahistoric, but derelict, house. In return, the newowners must correct health or safety hazards, re-habilitate the building, occupy the property astheir principal residence for not less than five years,and maintain the property in good condition.

Criteria to consider in setting up a homesteadingprogram include the following:

• Targeting the program for middle-class house-holds with sufficient incomes to readily repairand renovate the properties;

• Establishing a clear timeline for repairs, typi-cally a year or less depending on the degree ofrehabilitation required;

• Establishing a residency requirement for owneroccupancy for five years; and

• Establishing a support system to administerand run the homesteading program, includingbuilding inspectors to ensure timely completionof improvements and a follow-up system to en-sure owner occupancy for the specified time.

Encourage Good Maintenance of RentalPropertiesThe maintenance of rental property is often a prob-lem in older cities, and Springfield is no exception.It is particularly a problem when many absenteesmall landlords, who perhaps have bought proper-ties for more than the rental stream will support,cannot maintain the properties. The panel sug-gests two approaches that can be thought of as a“carrot and a stick” approach.

The “carrot” is to train landlords in best practicesor to provide low-interest rehabilitation loans forrepairs. This training can be done in a series ofevening meetings where speakers discuss thelaws, the procedures in the court system, tenantselection, building maintenance, and so on. Reha-bilitation loans can be funded by community de-velopment block grant (CDBG) or HOME fundsfrom the U.S. Department of Housing and UrbanDevelopment, sometimes with a few units re-

Nonprofits can be useful in working to organizecivic associations and to train them to run meet-ings, advocate with the city, get neighbors of dif-ferent ethnic groups to participate in efforts, andeducate newcomers about the laws regardingproperty maintenance in a friendly way beforecity action becomes necessary.

Reclaim Condemned and Tax-DelinquentPropertyGiven the historic character of many areas, repair-ing condemned properties as quickly as possibleis important, if feasible. Such repairs can be ap-proached through a homesteading program (seebelow) or by working with nonprofits to fix up theunits and resell them to homeowners, with re-quirements that they live there for a certain pe-riod. When neighborhoods have vacant sites, thecity should evaluate whether de-densification isappropriate. These lots can be sold for a dollar tothe adjacent owner as a larger lot or yard, or couldbe turned over to the civic association or the rec-reation department as community gardens orvegetable gardens, or even used as tot lots.

Create a Homesteading ProgramThe city of Springfield should develop a home-steading program to sell houses that are undercity ownership for $1 to households who agree tolive in the house for five years as their principalresidence, bring the structure up to code, and ob-tain an occupancy permit. Taxes should be abateduntil the house is ready for occupancy. This pro-gram should be targeted to middle-class house-holds and could be marketed in nearby major em-ployment centers such as Hartford, Connecticut,and Amherst and Northampton, Massachusetts,as well as within the city of Springfield and to em-ployees who work in the city.

Other communities have used homesteading suc-cessfully to foster long-term homeownership. Forexample, the city of Greeley, Colorado, encouragesthe conversion of rental single-family houses tolong-term homeownership in designated neigh-borhoods with the assistance of low-interest loans.The goal is to stabilize those areas that have seendecline caused by increased rental pressures; helppreserve and maintain older, semihistoric housingstock; and revitalize the neighborhood with prop-erty owners who care about the structures. In


The panel recommends that these funds be tar-geted to larger projects or to fund neighborhoodstabilization efforts. Funding some preventive ap-proaches can help neighborhoods retain value,such as making low-interest deferred loans forlow-to-moderate-income homeowners to repairtheir houses. Providing substantial gap financingfor renovations of large buildings, use of tax cred-its for mixed-income buildings on infill parcels, oradaptive use of interesting older properties in keyparcels in downtown are potentially more effec-tive uses of CDBG and HOME funds. (Please seethe section of this report titled Establish Criteriafor Evaluating City Projects for suggested crite-ria for public subsidy of projects on page 19.)

The city needs to provide ongoing information tothe public, using all forms of communication aboutsignificant changes in code enforcement and thesepositive new efforts. The SFCB, mayor, and citystaff should be recognized for these steps that willultimately lead to improved functioning of citygovernment without the SFCB.

stricted to affordable/workforce households toprovide mixed-income buildings.

The “stick” part of the approach is to do more-thorough and frequent code enforcement, enter-ing into consent agreements with landlords on re-pairs. If repairs are not completed as agreed to,follow-up is required and landlords can be fined, orin severe cases, sent to jail. This remedy should beapplied only in the worst cases or to send the mes-sage that the city is serious about landlords whodisregard the laws, tenants, and neighbors.

The city could also use licensing of rental proper-ties to give another form of control over the rentalstock and to raise funds to cover both code enforce-ment and landlord-tenant mediation. These feesdo not have to be large, but even an annual $25fee can raise significant funds. By requiring a li-cense, the city can maintain a list of landlords andsend out materials, such as information on leadpaint and sample leases that comply with locallaws. In cases where the property is poorly main-tained and the landlord is not taking corrective ac-tion, the city can revoke the license. This tool canbe very effective.

Apply HOME and CDBG Funds StrategicallyThe panel understands that funds from HOME arebeing used partly to subsidize the construction ofnew homes on vacant lots in these older neighbor-hoods and that given the relatively low marketvalue and high cost of new construction, a subsidyof $100,000 or more per unit is not uncommon. Thisuse is not the highest and best for scarce funds.


Although the panel discussed the downtowncore as its primary focus for specific rede-velopment opportunities, the panel alsocommented on the strong potential and

priority of some other select sites in the city.

Short-Term Priority Projects: The South EndThe South End is a significant problem area in thecity. Although crime is a real concern in this area,the redevelopment of these parcels has great po-tential as a catalyst for the whole neighborhood’srevitalization. Currently, the city and the Spring-field Redevelopment Authority (SRA) own abouta third of the land in this part of town. Much ofthat land is concentrated in two distinct locationsthat are close to each other, the Gemini site andthe Hollywood parcel, within the boundaries ofMorris, Main, Richelieu, and Marble streets. Va-cant land in the South End requires remediation,and the city intends to use brownfield grant moneyto achieve it. This project should be one of thecity’s top priorities. Rehabilitation of the town-houses across from the Gemini parcel is alreadyunderway.

The combination of the Hollywood properties, theadjoining single-family homes, the Gemini parcel,and the SRA-owned land offers the opportunityfor several new housing developments: rehabbedapartments and townhomes, and new construction.This area is ripe for a neighborhood planning effortthat would consider both commercial and residen-tial areas, ultimately arriving at a mixed-income,mixed-use community that works in a better wayfor existing residents as well as newcomers.

The panel recommends the following actions:

• Use code enforcement and stepped-up police pa-trols to clean up the “war zone” atmospherethat exists in the South End today.

• Form a public/private partnership to reducedensity and provide safe, off-street parking.

• Provide incentives to encourage updating ofsingle-family homes.

• Produce market-rate housing on city- andSRA-owned sites.

• Promote new business development alongMain Street.

Mid-Term Priority ProjectsThe panel identified several mid-term neighbor-hood redevelopment opportunities, includingexpanding residential products and enrichingcommunity resources in the South End, andproactively inventorying architecturally distinc-tive but vacant churches for adaptive reuse.

Smith Carriage Company District This area off Main Street at Willow, Park, andCross streets is already home to apartmentsyielding the highest rents in the city and is conve-niently close to the nearby downtown governmentand business centers as well as arts and entertain-ment attractions. In addition to successful rentaldevelopment, the area has a pocket park and park-ing. This success should be capitalized on to fulfillthe area’s potential as a housing district and com-plemented with for-sale loft housing to create the“Smith Carriage Company Residential District.”

Community Resources at East Columbus Avenueand Union/Howard/Main Streets This area is home to some beautiful, historic struc-tures that house a Montessori school, the SouthEnd Community Center, and an alcohol treatmentfacility. The church for sale nearby at East Colum-bus should be considered for conversion to a com-munity use that would be an extension of the cur-rent functions. Main Street has good existingretail frontage. Community planning should take

Neighborhood Priority Projects


place to better understand how best to capitalizeon existing community-based downtown assets.

Vacant Houses of Worship throughoutSpringfieldMany churches in Springfield are vacant and forsale throughout the city, with possibly more on thehorizon as other houses of worship with small con-gregations move toward consolidation. These sig-nificant buildings, many of which are architec-turally noteworthy, contain great spaces thatshould be treated as a resource for communityuses in general.

Sites for Future DevelopmentThe panel identified the Mason Square Fire Sta-tion, the former Chapman Valve Site, and theMemorial Industrial Park II as promising siteswith excellent potential for redevelopment.

Mason Square Fire Station This vacant historic firehouse in the commercialdistrict at the corner of State Street and Wilbra-ham Road should go out to RFQ/RFP and allowthe market to decide its highest and best use. Thebuilding should be secured and protected from ad-ditional deterioration during this process. Al-though the lack of on-site parking complicates re-development, the building’s strategic location andpotential for economic revitalization benefits makethis an important site for redevelopment.

Former Chapman Valve Site The city should persist in its efforts at the formerChapman Valve Site and continue to assemble re-sources for environmental cleanup of the property.Although a master plan and environmental site as-sessment have been completed, the city needs toestablish criteria for new users of the property toensure that any future redevelopment project is acatalyst for local economic development and thecreation of good jobs. Any redevelopment of this

site must also consider compatibility with the In-dian Orchard neighborhood and consistency withthe community land use plan. A minimum thresh-old of jobs per acre should be established. Becauseassembled land is such a scarce resource, ware-housing or distribution uses with few jobs shouldbe strongly discouraged on this site.

Memorial Industrial Park II This site with excellent access has promise for re-development. It should ultimately be developedunder requirements for job creation, compatibilitywith neighboring properties, and conformancewith the community land use plan.

Community planningwould help evaluate howbest to capitalize on exist-ing community-baseddowntown assets, suchas the South End Com-munity Center.


The panel offers this report not as a panaceabut as a series of suggestions that may as-sist the city in meeting its current chal-lenges. Although the Springfield Finance

Control Board should remain in place for anotherterm, the emergence and development of leader-ship from all sectors of the community will be acritical step for Springfield’s future. In the spiritof this new phase, Springfield should embrace andcelebrate its diversity and identify ways to includea representative cross section of the community inits decision making.

As the urban cultural center of the Pioneer Valley,with an architecturally diverse and historic core,Springfield’s downtown should be a destination tolive, work, and play. The rapid implementation ofthe panel’s recommended priority projects—such

as redevelopment of vacant property on CourtSquare and adaptive reuse of the old FederalBuilding—will be a strong step forward in this di-rection. An additional focus on the South Endneighborhood, with an emphasis on the Gemini-Hollywood area, can be a catalyst for this neigh-borhood’s revitalization. Finally, efforts to con-serve the character and integrity of Springfield’sneighborhoods, and harnessing the power of thecity’s many neighborhood associations, will be agreat boost to Springfield’s other communities.

Conclusion


Maureen McAveyPanel ChairWashington, D.C.

McAvey is executive vice president for the Initia-tives Group at the Urban Land Institute in Wash-ington, D.C. ULI is the premier research and edu-cation organization within the real estate and landuse industry. In her position, she is responsible forall research and content programs currently un-derway. Before her current position, McAvey wasthe Senior Resident Fellow for urban develop-ment at the Urban Land Institute. She has over25 years of experience in real estate development,consulting, and the creation of public/private fi-nancial structures.

McAvey was director, business development, forFederal Realty Investment Trust (FRIT), aNYSE-traded owner and manager of retail devel-opments and mixed-use developments. In that ca-pacity she assisted in the establishment of public/private financial structure of a mixed-use retail/housing development in Arlington County, Vir-ginia. She also completed a similar public/privatepartnership with the city of San Antonio to fur-ther FRIT’s Houston Street mixed-use projectthere. As part of the San Antonio project, tax in-crement financing, Urban Development ActionGrant funds, and an Economic Development Ad-ministration grant assisted in the funding of nec-essary public improvements.

McAvey served as the director of developmentfor the city of St. Louis, a position in the mayor’scabinet. In that capacity, she was also executivedirector of the St. Louis Development Corpora-tion, leading seven development-related boardsand commissions. Major accomplishments includedconstruction of a new neighborhood commercialcenter, anchored by a 60,000-square-foot, 24-hourgrocery; a privately financed $1 million masterplan for the revitalization of the downtown area;

negotiation of development agreements to securea new 1,000-room convention headquarters hotel;and a neighborhood planning effort.

Prior to St. Louis, McAvey led the real estate con-sulting practices in Boston for Deloitte & Toucheand for Coopers & Lybrand. While in the “Big Six”firms, she directed the due diligence efforts forover $12 billion in securitization projects for majorbanking and financial institutions. Her clients in-cluded institutional developers, major corpora-tions, utilities, and colleges and universities. Con-sulting efforts ran the gamut of new financings,restructuring, troubled projects, strategic plan-ning, and mergers and acquisitions.

As a private developer, McAvey directed the WestCoast operations of a national development firm,where she served as project manager for a $40million rehabilitation of a national historic land-mark hotel with office and retail components. Shealso directed the master-planning effort for a 70-acre, million-square-foot university-related re-search park, including the architectural, legal, andorganizational components of development.

McAvey holds two master’s degrees: one from theUniversity of Minnesota, and one from the KennedySchool of Government, Harvard University. Shehas done extensive course work at Harvard Busi-ness School in commercial lending, investment man-agement, finance, and real estate development.

McAvey was a member of the Board of Trustees,Urban Land Institute, 1995–2001. She chairedthe Regionalism Forum for two years, exploringissues of smart growth, multijurisdictional bound-aries and planning efforts, and shared revenue/fiscal disparities alternatives. She led an inter-national panel to Cracow, Poland, assisting thecity in creating its economic development plan and strategy. McAvey is a frequent guest lec-turer at major universities and a frequent na-tional speaker.

About the Panel


Lewis BolanWashington, D.C.

Bolan is a real estate economist and developmentconsultant with 30 years of professional experi-ence. He is the cofounder of Bolan Smart Associ-ates, Inc., the independent economic consulting af-filiate of the national commercial brokerage firmof Grubb & Ellis. Bolan formerly was vice presi-dent of Real Estate Research Corporation, direc-tor of its Washington office, and head of its invest-ment advisory services division. A planner as wellas an economist, he also served as director of plan-ning for Victor Gruen International, a European-based planning and design firm.

Bolan’s activities encompass 40 states, nearly allthe nation’s major cities, and many foreign coun-tries. He has directed development planning ac-tivities and investment evaluation for major newcommunities and mixed-use projects together withoffice, industrial, retail, hotel, and residential landuses. A recognized expert in the fields of strategicplanning and financial analysis, he has worked formany leading developers, Fortune 500 companies,and financial institutions, as well as served as ad-viser to numerous local, state, and federal govern-ment agencies.

Bolan is an adjunct professor of real estate atJohns Hopkins University. He is a member of theboard of the Allan L. Berman Real Estate Insti-tute at Johns Hopkins. Active in the Urban LandInstitute, he frequently contributes time to theAdvisory Services panels and other research proj-ects. Bolan is a board member of Lambda Alpha,an honorary land economics fraternity, where heserves as program chairman. He has a BA in soci-ology and economics from Columbia Universityand a master’s of city planning from the Univer-sity of Illinois.

Bolan is a frequent contributor to real estate andbusiness publications. His articles and commentshave appeared in such publications as the WallStreet Journal, the New York Times, the Wash-ington Post, National Real Estate Investor, RealEstate Forum, Urban Land, the Business Review,Kiplinger Report, US News and World Report,and numerous other publications. For the past

two years, he has served as project director ofTrend Watch, a Johns Hopkins publication focus-ing on commercial real estate trends.

Elizabeth B. DavisonRockville, Maryland

Davison is an urban economist who has spent hermore than 30-year career in both the private sec-tor, as a real estate and land use consultant, andthe public sector, as a planner and manager of arange of housing and community-developmentprograms. She has been the director of the De-partment of Housing and Community Affairs forMontgomery County, Maryland, since 1996. Shedirects the department of over 110 staff and acombined budget of over $33 million per year, inthe arenas of community development, consumeraffairs, commercial revitalization, affordable hous-ing programs, and land use policy in MontgomeryCounty, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C.,with a population of over 870,000. She was the di-rector of the Office of Planning Implementationfor the county from 1991 through 1996 and alsoworked for Maryland-National Capital Park andPlanning Commission from 1974 through 1980, inthe research divisions in both Montgomery andPrince George’s County, conducting demographicstudies and commercial revitalization studies.

Before joining the county, Davison was vice presi-dent of Hammer, Siler, George Associates andprior to that, vice president with Real Estate Re-search Corporation. In her 15-year consulting ca-reer, Davison conducted market studies and finan-cial feasibility studies for real estate developmentprojects specializing in mixed-use developments.She also prepared commercial revitalization stud-ies, growth management studies, and infrastruc-ture needs studies for local and state govern-ments. Her clients included major corporations,nonprofit organizations, real estate syndicators,real estate developers, banks and other financialinstitutions, universities, and federal, state, andlocal governments.

Davison’s academic training was at George Wash-ington University as an undergraduate in econom-ics and Washington University in St. Louis, Mis-souri, for graduate study in economics and urban


studies. Most recently, she completed the programat the Kennedy School of Government at HarvardUniversity for senior officials in state and localgovernment. She is a member of the Urban LandInstitute, the American Planning Association, andthe honorary society, Lambda Alpha International.She has been an active speaker at numerous con-ferences and has authored several articles for na-tional journals in planning, real estate, and com-munity development.

Barry ElbasaniBerkeley, California

Elbasani is a founding principal of ELS. He is re-sponsible for overseeing all projects and ensuringthat the firm’s vision and underlying philosophyare sustained. Under his direction, the firm hasearned a national reputation for its success in urbanplanning and the design of major downtown retailand mixed-use projects; performing arts; educa-tional facilities; and cultural, sports, and recre-ational facilities. Additionally, he has extensiveexperience in renovation and urban design. Hiscompleted projects include Stonebriar Centre,near Dallas, Texas; Village of Merrick Park inCoral Gables, Florida; and Church Street Plazain Evanston, Illinois. He is currently working onVictoria Ward Village Shops, a mixed-use urbanvillage in Honolulu, Hawaii; a mixed-use campusgateway at Fresno State University; SummerlinTown Center in Summerlin, Nevada; and ChivaCity in Valencia, Spain.

Elbasani’s retail and mixed-use experience is broadand includes several renovations and the designand planning of open-air, enclosed, and festivalretail centers. He was principal-in-charge for Pio-neer Place in Portland, which has been profiled inUrban Land Institute publications and receivedan AIA Design Award. The Grand Avenue in down-town Milwaukee received the Award of Excellencein Urban Retail, awarded by ULI in 1988. DenverPavilions, North Point Center, Woodlands Mall,and Stonebriar Centre have all received designawards from the International Council of Shop-ping Centers.

Elbasani is committed to design solutions that re-spect their environmental and cultural context,

achieve architectural and technical excellence, andcreate places that celebrate and enhance the expe-rience of urban life.

He received a bachelor’s of architecture degreefrom Cooper Union School in 1964 and a master’sof architecture in urban design from Harvard Uni-versity in 1965. Elbasani is registered to practicearchitecture in California, New York, New Jersey,Georgia, Texas, and Florida and is certified byNCARB. He is a Fellow of the American Instituteof Architects and the Institute for Urban Design,a member of the Urban Land Institute Mixed-UseCouncil, the International Council of ShoppingCenters, and Lambda Alpha International and haslectured at UCLA’s real estate school. He hasserved on ULI Advisory Panels for downtownSan Jose, Cincinnati, West Palm Beach, and theNationals baseball stadium in Washington, D.C.

Patrick FoxHingham, Massachusetts

Fox has been with the Saint Consulting Groupsince 1998, serving as project manager, divisionmanager, and vice president before becoming com-pany president. He manages operations with afocus on ensuring continued project victories forSaint Consulting’s clients. He developed the staffrecruiting and in-house training programs designedto keep Saint staff on the cutting edge of develop-ments in grassroots campaigning and land use pol-itics, and he continues to craft innovative methodsand strategies for achieving client objectives.

Fox has an MBA from Northeastern Universityand experience that includes work on more than100 political campaigns, management of a U.S.congressional office, and operation of a govern-ment relations consulting firm.

Jeff KaplanHouston, Texas

Kaplan is a founding member of WulfeUrban, aconsulting division of Wulfe & Company, one ofHouston’s most respected commercial real estatefirms. WulfeUrban works with retailers, develop-ers, and urban brokers seeking to take advantage


of emerging markets for urban regeneration inAmerican. Kaplan’s work includes both large met-ropolitan downtowns and older established com-munities, smaller towns, and communities.

Kaplan is currently chairing Urban Marketplace,an educational outreach program for ULI that willpromote investment opportunities in Houston’surban areas. He is also the real estate columnistfor 002+ Magazine and is a Big Brother throughBig Brothers Big Sisters of America.

Raymond L. Kuniansky, Jr.Atlanta, Georgia

After 12 years in the not-for-profit world of af-fordable housing, Kuniansky joined the for-profitside to develop mixed-use loft products in Atlanta,Georgia. He joined the Citiesouth Group, LLC, inOctober 2006 in this new venture. The first proj-ect is a seven-acre tract of land in downtown At-lanta to be developed with loft condos, retail, andlive/work space.

In 1994, Kuniansky joined the Atlanta Neighbor-hood Development Partnership (ANDP), a not-for-profit organization involved in neighborhoodrevitalization. ANDP has been involved in theproduction of over 8,000 affordable housing unitsvalued at $720 million since its inception in 1991.As chief operating officer, Kuniansky had over-sight of an $11 million loan fund, all developmentactivities, and public policy/advocacy work of theorganization. In its 15-year history, ANDP has ac-complished numerous activities, including the ren-ovation and conversion of a warehouse into mixed-use, mixed-income housing; new constructionmultifamily housing; low-income housing taxcredit transactions; and single-family infill.

Kuniansky’s public policy work included publish-ing the Making the Case report; developing inclu-sionary zoning policies for three municipalities, in-cluding the city of Atlanta; developing proposalsfor housing trust funds; and, most important, rais-ing the public awareness of the need for affordablehousing in metropolitan Atlanta.

Before working with ANDP, Kuniansky spent tenyears as a commercial real estate lending officer

for three Atlanta banks: Decatur Federal, Home-Banc FSB, and Bank South. Prior to banking hespent two years in the insurance business and fiveyears as a teacher for the Atlanta public schools.

Kuniansky, a native of Atlanta, received a BBA infinance from Georgia State University in 1981. Hecurrently serves on numerous community boards,including the ULI National Affordable HousingCouncil, the Temple board of trustees, Reynold-stown Revitalization Corporation Advisory Coun-cil, Project Interconnections, Inc., and the Com-munity Housing Resource Center.

Ellen M. McLeanPittsburgh, Pennsylvania

McLean served as chief financial officer (CFO) forthe city of Pittsburgh from 1999 to 2005, and pre-viously she led the city’s Office of Managementand Budget. In her position as CFO, she devel-oped and managed the city’s annual operatingand capital budgets totaling $450 million, includ-ing revenue collection and tax compliance, real es-tate and property management, debt managementand issuance, rating and regulatory relationships,and labor-management initiatives and bargainingstrategy. She initiated and implemented a data-driven performance measurement program—Citistat Pittsburgh—resulting in the adoption of a strategic, data-driven approach to problem solv-ing across city operations. She served as execu-tive director of the city’s Comprehensive Munici-pal Pension Trust Fund, treasurer and financechair of the Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Author-ity, and member of the city’s IntergovernmentalCooperation Authority, one of two financial over-sight bodies.

McLean was a key player in the city’s strategicfiling for distressed status under Pennsylvaniastate law as a means to force tax reform and costcontainment. During her tenure, the city won ahistoric change in its tax structure resulting in amore equitable distribution of the tax burdenamong businesses and nonresidents as well as theimplementation of a comprehensive five-year fi-nancial recovery plan under which Pittsburgh isoperating today.


Currently, McLean provides strategic and finan-cial consulting services to local government enti-ties and nonprofit organizations. Her consultingservices include designing management systemsto improve the quality and effectiveness of opera-tions through integrated, agency-wide planning,monitoring, evaluation, and reporting. Most re-cently, she completed a review of the PittsburghPublic School District’s fiscal position at the re-quest of the new superintendent, an engagementfunded by the Heinz Endowments.

McLean has a master’s degree in public manage-ment, financial management from Carnegie Mel-lon University as well as an MA and BA in Eng-lish from Duquesne University. She is a memberof the board of trustees at the Ellis School, an in-dependent all girls K–12 day school, and theHouse of the Crossroads, a residential drug andalcohol treatment program. She is a past memberof the boards of the McGowen Center for ArtificialOrgan Development and Artists & Cities.

Alvin McNealMcLean, Virginia

McNeal is a senior vice president with FraserForbes Company, a land brokerage firm in Wash-ington, D.C. He is an urban planner and has beeninvolved in all aspects of real estate developmentand municipal and community planning.

Before Fraser Forbes, McNeal directed Wash-ington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s(WMATA) unique and highly successful public/private development program until October 2003.

During his tenure, WMATA’s public/private devel-opment program became a model “transit-orienteddevelopment program,” encompassing 60 transit-oriented development projects, valued at over$3 billion. Since its inception in 1974, the programhas generated over $100 million in revenue andwill exceed $150 million in 2004. The projects haveadded 50,000 new daily riders to WMATA’s Metro-rail and bus systems, 25 primary jobs, and severalmillion dollars in new taxes to the coffers of localjurisdictions. The projects have demonstrated thatmore-compact developments at Metrorail stationscan offer housing choices and diverse living areaswhile creating financial returns for transit agen-cies, developers, and the public. McNeal has servedas an adviser to several transit agencies on transit-oriented development.

McNeal has a bachelor’s degree from North Car-olina Central University and a master’s degreefrom the University of Cincinnati. He has writ-ten articles for journals and presented papers atprofessional conferences. He is a coeditor of Wash-ington on Foot, a very popular book of neighbor-hood walking tours published by the Smithson-ian Institution.

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