Downtown revitalization work underway

Springfield On The Move ended the year in the black, but it also ended the year with visible accomplishments, officials from the downtown revitalization group said this week.
http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20150626/NEWS02/706269931

Downtown revitalization work underway By Susan Smallheer Staff Writer | June 26,2015 Email Article Print Article SPRINGFIELD — Springfield On The Move ended the year in the black, but it also ended the year with visible accomplishments, officials from the downtown revitalization group said this week. The group, which is partially funded by the town as well as private donations and memberships, held its annual meeting Monday. Carol Lighthall, executive director of the group, said progress was being made in sprucing up the downtown. Lighthall said that inmates from the state prison in Windsor were back in town for another painting job, and just Monday started painting the façade of the Good Buy Store, the thrift store run by Southeastern Vermont Community Action. Lighthall said the sprucing up of SEVCA would also include a better sign to match the Art Deco exterior of the store, which many years ago was a W.T. Grant Store. The inmates have painted the facade a combination of gray and blue, in coordination with the Odd Fellows Building which inmates painted 18 months ago in another SOM project. Lighthall said SOM had launched the façade improvement project in 2010-2011. “In four or five years, we really have done a lot,” she said. Lighthall said the group was next working on improving the appearance of the town-owned Community Center, which is currently having foundation work done. Another goal is to work with the U.S. Post Office to spiff up the appearance of that building. The Department of Corrections inmates would do the work at the post office, she said, although the post office work would likely be “really slow” in coming. Lighthall also gave an update on the Springfield Farmers Market, which is in its fourth year. It runs Saturdays in the downtown area. Carolyn Lane, the president of the group, said that economic development had gotten some renewed focus for the downtown area. A survey last year showed that what residents wanted more than anything downtown was a bakery. Lane said that Lighthall was key in getting Heritage Bakery of Chester to open a storefront in downtown Springfield. By all accounts, Lane said, the bakery has been a big hit. Lighthall, Lane said, was “like a dog with a bone” in getting a bakery to downtown. “And if everybody gains 10 pounds in Springfield, that’s OK,” she said. SOM Treasurer Buddy Dexter said that with two weeks left in the group’s fiscal year, it looks like they would end up with between $3,000 and $3,500 on hand.