Tower Square celebrates 40th anniversary with new tenant

Date: 11/4/2011

Oct. 31, 2011

By G. Michael Dobbs

Managing Editor

SPRINGFIELD — In 1971, the dream of revitalizing downtown was met with the construction of what was then known as BayState West — now Tower Square — a combination shopping mall, hotel, garage and office tower.

The 40th anniversary was celebrated with events at the food court on Oct. 27 and with the formal announcement that Tower Square is continuing its evolution with a new tenant, Cambridge College.

Fred Christensen, the senior property manager for CBE Richard Ellis, the company that manages the property for its owner, MassMutual, said that while the “face of retail” has changed since the opening of the complex, Tower Square still remains “a vital business address.”

Teresa Forte, director of operations for the college, whose Springfield office is located on Cottage Street, told Reminder Publications, the college plans to move its faculty, staff and students — about 300 people — to the first floor area where the most recent tenant was U.S. Factory Outlet. The move should be completed late in the first quarter of next year.

Forte said the new location would be “a great opportunity” for the students as being in Tower Square will give them greater access to a number of shops and services.

Springfield is one of seven regional campuses for the Cambridge-based college, which was also founded in 1971.

Mayor Domenic Sarno said the addition of the college to Tower Square is in line with his vision of a downtown with an “eclectic mix.”

Both Sarno and Nicholas Fyntrilakis, assistant vice president of community responsibility at MassMutual, reminisced about going to BayState West in their youth.

Christensen said the complex was built at a cost of $50 million and was initially thought of in the mid-1960s. There was a Woolworth’s and a Thom McCann shoe store located on the site before construction.

At the time of its opening, two major department stores were still in business downtown, and BayState West has two air walks that allowed shoppers to walk to both Forbes and Wallace and Steiger’s.

At the time of its opening it had 48 stores, Christensen said, which ranged from Friendly’s and Liberty Bakery to book and clothing stores. He noted that BayState West was considered an “unconditional success,” when it opened.

He said, “Few [of the succeeding downtown developments] have had the lasting impact of the BayState West project.”