Every business in Metro Center has a story — of risk, work, and belief in downtown Springfield. These are those stories, told by the people who live them. Watch, and you’ll hear what this district means to the people who built it, what they hope for its future, and what’s at stake in the decisions ahead.
Springfield Wine & Spirits Exchange:
Why Carlo Bonavita Chose Downtown
Tower Square
What a Longer Walk to Court Would Cost Downtown
Springfield, MA: The “Textbook” Downtown Nobody Talks About
In 2007, the Urban Land Institute’s Boston District Council convened a Technical Assistance Panel at the request of the City of Springfield to help chart a course for revitalizing its downtown. A volunteer team of planners, architects, developers, and real estate experts studied the area — “bounded by the railroad tracks north, State Street south, the Springfield Armory east, and Interstate 91 west” — assessing its strengths, challenges, and opportunities.
Their conclusion was clear: “The layout of Downtown Springfield is a ‘textbook’ example of good urban design — compact, walkable, and diverse in uses.” This video revisits that study and what it still means for Downtown’s future.