Façade program in place for downtown Springfield

Downtown business owners might get a helping hand sprucing up the facades of their businesses, if Springfield's application for a state planning grant is successful.

http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20110222/NEWS02/702229882

Published February 22, 2011 in the Rutland Herald

Façade program in place for downtown Springfield

By SUSAN SMALLHEER
Staff Writer

SPRINGFIELD — Downtown business owners might get a helping hand sprucing up the facades of their businesses, if Springfield's application for a state planning grant is successful.

Springfield On The Move and the town have applied for a community development planning grant worth $30,000, which would fund a façade design program as well as help the organization meet the state's new reporting requirement to establish a database on downtown Springfield.

Springfield On The Move's executive director, Carol Lighthall, said the group recently formed a downtown recruitment team in an effort to bring new businesses to the downtown area. She said a façade design program would be a boost to their effort.

Springfield has numerous vacant storefronts downtown and in the past year lost Penelope's restaurant, a local landmark. Its space was turned into offices.

Many businesses have said rebuilding the Ellis Block and the reopening of the Springfield Movie Theater after a fire are key to jump-starting the downtown, which has the fewest businesses operating as at any time in recent memory.

She said fundraising will facilitate the façade improvements through grants and loans to property owners in the second phase of the project.

Lighthall said the downtown recruitment team would be using the recently completed market study as a guide.

“An improved and upbeat design for many of the downtown buildings can help to inspire new businesses to do business in downtown Springfield and to motivate landlords to improve their buildings once new leases are signed,” Lighthall said.

Under the façade master plan, there would be a push to rehabilitate as many downtown buildings at once for a coordinated effort and to maximize the impact of the improvements.

Lighthall said façade design would focus on aesthetics such as new colors, awnings and “an updated and fresh look.”

“We see this as an opportunity to highlight Springfield,” she said.

Lighthall said “success is never guaranteed” and there was a renewed effort to bring new life to Springfield.