Bright Nights to gain storage barn and technical facility with grant funds

Date: 10/9/2014

SPRINGFIELD – City, state and federal officials gathered at Forest Park on Oct. 3 to celebrate the acquisition of a $1.29 million grant to be used to build the Bright Nights Storage Barn and Technical Skills Facility.

The new barn will be built on the site of the former stables, adjacent to the information center at the main entrance on Sumner Avenue, which was built in the 1970s. The new facility will allow Bright Nights to store equipment, while offering additional workshop space for park staff and two new technical training classrooms for workforce development. The project will also include improving parking and restroom facilities at the park’s clay tennis courts.

Congressman Richard Neal said the grant was extremely competitive and it “has to be well done before I can help.” He added that the grant represented a substantial investment in one of Springfield’s greatest resources.

“I believe Springfield still has more park space than any other city of comparable size across New England. It’s an extraordinary legacy,” he said. “Forest Park is a gem. It is remarkable and those of us who are custodians of that rich legacy always need to be mindful of the investment that we have to make as well.

“We have in this city a beauty that would very difficult to replicate and maintaining it and paying great attention to it and treating it as part of the Springfield family is always a very important consideration,” he concluded.

As part of the project, the city will contribute $116,253 in matching funds, while the Spirit of Springfield will pitch in $185,353.

Judy Matt, president of the Spirit of Springfield, said it would be the first time Bright Nights would have a dedicated space for its display elements.

“Since its inception, the remarkable Bright Nights crew has made due with whatever space was available in the park for our magnificent displays,” she said, naming the upper level of the former Monkey House and space under the Walker Grandstand as space currently utilized for display storage. “We are bursting at the seams; we couldn’t even entertain bringing more displays in because we don’t have anymore space.”

Mayor Domenic Sarno touted the positive economic impact Bright Nights has on the city and further celebrated the workforce development classrooms as another means through which skilled laborers can be trained.

“We highlight a great event in Bright Nights, but more importantly, we also give job creation opportunities and job training,” he said. “Anything you do with your hands and do with quality can never be taken away from you, so it’s a win-win.”

Park Commission Chair Brian Santaniello concurred that the project was “vital to the rebuilding of our city” by providing job training and increasing the knowledge of trade construction to Springfield residents, adding that trade unions were an important element of the city.

“This will be a giant step in stabilizing our neighborhoods,” he said.