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Downtown Vision
 Springfield facts: Each year the Center City Criterium attracts over 100 of the Region’s best cyclists
Fountain Avenue
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Heritage Plaza
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Downtown Springfield Concept
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Center City Association Unveils An Exciting New Vision For Downtown Springfield - January 2005
Imagine a beautifully-crafted Downtown Springfield business and retail district bustling with activity. This is precisely the concept created by Center City Association's Vision Plan, developed in conjunction with nationally-renowned urban design, planning, and landscape architecture firm MSI. The plan and concept depict a vibrant, dynamic and rejuvenated Downtown, brimming with retail and service businesses.
“This plan is both an exciting, as well as a pragmatic, approach to the transformation of our Downtown,” stated incoming Center City Board President, Craig Dillon. “The concept builds off the planning work developed during the Springfield R/UDAT initiative conducted during early 2002.”
The Center City Vision creates an open, block-wide central park that connects two distinct anchors of Springfield -- the Heritage Center in the center of Downtown and the Springfield Museum of Art overlooking Buck Creek. Each block along the park will provide an opportunity to create unique and distinctive properties and retail concepts that appeal to a diverse range of businesses and consumers. In addition, the concept calls for pedestrian bridges that offer walkways to and from Wittenberg University's campus.
“The concept redevelops the heart of Downtown Springfield around an open space network, featuring a consumer-oriented central park between Fountain and Center Streets,” states Keith Myers, Senior Design Partner at MSI. “Today, a downtown plan must reflect how our society is changing. People today desire not just a place to live, work or shop, but an experience.” Center City
“Center City has served as a catalyst for this vision, which is a product of partnership with many public and private organizations throughout our community,” stated Horton H. Hobbs IV, Center City's Executive Director. “We are all committed to a vibrant downtown that reflects the quality and ambitions of our city.”
The Center City Vision Plan creates an amenity-based destination in the heart of Downtown Springfield. It leverages the nearly $100 million investment in the downtown that has been made over the last 10 years, in order to promote new infill development. Success of the concept will rely on strong public and private collaborations.
“The timing of this idea couldn't be better,” stated Matt Kridler, Springfield City Manager. “Our city is ripe for a redevelopment concept of this magnitude. It will create both an attractive new heart and vital economic entity for the region.”
About MSI:
MSI is a nationally renowned firm with expertise in urban design, planning, and landscape architecture with a reputation for specializing in downtown revitalization. Recent projects include the master planning, design, and implementation of the Nationwide Arena District in Columbus, Ohio and the design and implementation of the North Shore project in Pittsburgh. More information on MSI can be found at www.msidesign.com.
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