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'Albatross' no more

By G. Michael Dobbs

Managing Editor



SPRINGFIELD - The remaining part of the river front parcel may be ready for developers within a year.

Developers Peter Pappas and Dr. Michael Spagnoli unveiled the plans for the new River's Landing in the former Basketball Hall of Fame building on Jan. 31.

The complex will include a fitness center, restaurant and medical practice.

David Panagore, the city's chief economic development officer, told Reminder Publications the York Street Jail may be set for demolition this summer.

Panagore said the removal of the former jail would open up a three-and-a-half-acre site for more development.

Currently the city is working with consultants and engineers on the demolition. Panagore said there is some hazardous material, such as asbestos, that would complicate the removal of the building. The demolition would have to be approved by the city's Historical Commission as well.

Panagore said the demolition option only comes after years of unsuccessful effort to find developers who would be interested in rehabilitating the building to a new use. Panagore said there have been no viable proposals and that the costs of demolition are far less than those of renovation.

Panagore said the Warming Place, the homeless shelter operated by the Open Pantry that is housed in the gymnasium of the jail complex, would be re-located this summer by July 1.

Having the building removed is the first step to attract a developer to the property, he added.

Although the river front area was not an immediate focus for the city according to the recent Urban Land Institute (ULI) report, Panagore said the River's Landing complex falls right into what the ULI report says is needed for the city: developments that are for public use, rather than private.

Although previous developers had looked at Riverfront Park as the location for a hotel, Panagore said there are no plans at this time to develop that site.



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Albatross

Describing the former Hall building as "albatross of sorts," Paul McDonald, of the Springfield River Front Development Corporation, said, "Rather than saying, 'the eagle has landed,' we should say 'the albatross has flown away.'"

The building has been vacant since September of 2002 and McDonald said it has been a "physical reminder of our dreams not fully developed on the riverfront at this time."

The new development represents a $14 million investment in the city and should create 100 jobs, said Pappas.

Pappas, an East Longmeadow developer and Spagnoli, a southern California chiropractor, have been best friends since childhood and are both natives of the Springfield area.

Spagnoli told the 100 or so people gathered for the announcement that Pappas had contacted him about the location and its potential.

The complex will feature one of the largest fitness clubs in the Northeast, a 60,000 square foot L.A. Fitness location, housed primarily in a new building that will be linked to the existing building.

The other two components are offices for Spagnoli's Trillium Sports medicine practice and a restaurant that Pappas said would "bring glitz and entertainment back into fine dining."

Both families have extensive background in the restaurant and bar business. The Pappas family operated the Red Barn in Chicopee for over 25 years and the Spagnoli family owned the popular South End establishment The Hollywood Caf . The new restaurant will be called "the Hollywood Barn."

It will be a three-story restaurant and lounge with a two-tier waterfall, a video wall and a catwalk stage for entertainment and will feature an "east meets west fusion" menu.



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Back to the old neighborhood

James Langone, Spagnoli's brother, said the news of the development was "just terrific."

Langone noted that his family has been in the South End since 1911 and the location of the former Hall building is the site of a playground where he and other South End children used to play. Langone still lives and works in the neighborhood.

"It [the South End] is part of us," he added.

"It was a very viable neighborhood prior to [the construction of Interstate] 91," he said. The highway split the neighborhood and removed many homes and businesses.

Pappas has been "toying with the idea for almost a year," Langone said. The project came together in the last month.

"People have told them they're crazy, but they persisted," he said.