Springfield's Legacy

Architecture |

Having just celebrated its 200th anniversary, Springfield enters its third century poised to continue developing as a strong, healthy community economically, culturally and socially. Census data shows an increasing number of white-collar jobs, 2001 was a record-breaking construction year, millions of dollars worth of parks improvements are underway, and more and more are turning to our heritage with pride and inspiration.

Springfield has emerged throughout the decades as a strong economic force: construction of industrial parks attracts businesses from around the country; as a willing partner in intergovernmental cooperation with our villages, townships and cities for improvements to infrastructures; as a community blended with cultural and ethnic diversities; and as an avid supporter of the arts.

In 1983, Newsweek's Fiftieth Anniversary issue featured the city of Springfield as the typical American city. "[Springfield] is one of those American cities that grew almost at random from the wilderness, thriving because its people didn't know when they were licked. It was built on a dream of progress and the faith that inventiveness and industry were bound to succeed. The industrial frontier has passed Springfield by, and the city has been transformed by the seismic social changes of the half-century. But the dream and the faith still endure." (Newsweek Spring 1983)

Downtown Springfield has witnessed more than $100 million in development in recent years. The business community has developed a strategy to encourage and sustain economic viability. Out of 50 metro areas in the United States, Springfield was ranked 35th in Inc. magazine's list of "Hot Zones: The 50 Best Areas in the Country to Start and Grow a Business."

The efforts of the Center City Association and others in working toward revamping our downtown are both necessary for improving the attitudes of community residents as well as being extremely important for the future economic development of the area. Fruits of these efforts will provide numerous benefits to our community, including a center city area that will attract citizens, and many other people, for business, shopping, dining, and recreational and educational purposes.