Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.

Sarno dismisses parking costs, cafeteria concerns at 1550 Main St.

Date: 7/22/2010

July 21, 2010

By G. Michael Dobbs

Managing Editor

SPRINGFIELD -- The move to the former Federal Building on Main Street brought some surprises last week. For School Department personnel there was a hike in the cost of parking. For downtown breakfast and lunch spots that had been promised for the last year of the potential for increased business, there came the news the School Department is maintaining a cafeteria for its employees.

Several city employees contacted this newspaper with complaints that the move to the new location meant a greater expense for them in parking fees. Speaking anonymously, they said the rate at a lot owned by the Springfield Museums was $70 per month. To park at the Columbus Center garage attached to their new building is $80 per month.

In response to the two issues, Mayor Domenic Sarno said in written statement, "I have been informed that some School Department employees are concerned about a potential increase in parking rates. It is my understanding that there will be a nominal increase of $10 per month and that parkers will have a much better parking facility. It is also my understanding that the new School Department location will continue to have a food vendor available for employees choosing to take advantage of this amenity. Employees will also have the availability of many downtown eating establishments and convenience stores."

What Sarno did not address is the city allowed an opportunity to expire that would have provided School Department employees with discounted parking spaces at a rate less expensive than what they had been paying.

In both a written statement and a subsequent interview with Reminder Publications, Demetrios Panteleakis, chairman of the board of the Springfield Parking Authority (SPA) said the non-profit parking authority had extended a contract for parking at a reduced rate to the Sarno Administration and the School Committee

"The Springfield School Department was to sign, as agreed initially, a long term lease at a specialized governmental rate for at least 100 to 125 parking spaces for the term of their lease for their employees. This has not happened and the SPA has suffered long term financial hardship as a result and is trying to offset the loss by now refocusing its efforts to lease parking spaces to private sector users," Panteleakis said.

The fact that the city did not take advantage of the contract not only costs its employees money, but damaged the SPA financially, he said.

"The SPA had extended a discounted rate of $65 monthly to the School Department or reduction of $30,000 annually only to have the contract returned for only five spaces instead of 125 or a loss to the authority of $121,850 annually," Panteleakis explained.

Panteleakis said the SPA adds greatly to the redevelopment of downtown by extending discounted parking rates for a number of events.

"SPA provides almost $30,000 dollars monthly of subsidized or free parking in the promotion of downtown events at the MassMutual Center, City Stage and Symphony Hall. SPA has provided reduced event parking for the Hoop City Jazz Festival and Shriner's Circus and has aided business retention in bringing Bay State Medical downtown to 1550 Main [St.]," he said.

Baystate Health will be moving its personnel some time in the fall, according to Kelsey Abbruzzese, the spokesperson for MassDevelopment, the owners of 1550 Main St. Panteleakis said the health care giant has already signed a contract for parking spaces.

Panteleakis said he has wondered, "At what point do we stop giving deals?"

City Jake, the owner of City Jakes' Cafe at the corner of Main and Worthington streets is one of the restaurants closest to the new School Department location and wondered "Why do we have to compete with a government subsidized restaurant?"

Sodexo, the company with the contract to provide the food program in the public schools, is operating the cafeteria.

City Jake, who has been in business downtown for the past 19 years, noted there are almost two dozen restaurants located in the downtown area.

Stating he didn't mean any disrespect, he added the cafeteria is "not that bright an idea."

In his statement, Sarno also said, "I'm pleased with the progress the Springfield Public School Department continues to make with their relocation to the former federal building. I thank Congressman Richard Neal for his ongoing commitment to this project. I remain confident that the relocation of school department personnel and the influx of Baystate Health employees will have a positive impact on downtown Springfield businesses and will continue the momentum to revitalize downtown Springfield.

"It has remained my position that failure to move forward with this relocation would have had a negative domino effect along the Main Street corridor and this is something my administration has been working hard to change," he continued. "Moving the Springfield School Department from its antiquated facility to this location is a key piece to downtown redevelopment. The former federal building is located adjacent to high value office towers. An empty building at this location would have become a nuisance for the city and would have hampered ongoing plans for the city to demolish the former Asylum Night Club building."