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Date: 4/4/2023
SPRINGFIELD — Nearly 10 years since a fire destroyed the junior high school on Chestnut Street, life will return to the vacant grounds with a different means of serving the community.
During the Springfield City Council Hearings Meeting on March 27, Attorney Bradford Martin from Fitzgerald Law explained that the New North Citizens Council is seeking a special permit for the new development of the Barbara Rivera Community Center and the TEAM Rehab and Wellness Center at the former Chestnut Street school site, to include a building for medical offices.
An enlarged photo was displayed for the councilors to view, depicting what the New North Community Center Campus will look like.
“I think this is a great thing for the North End,” said Martin. It begins with a tragedy with the burning of the Chestnut Street School in 2013 [and] it’s demolition in 2014. It then lay vacant for a number of years until the city put out the [request for proposal] in 2020, at which time the New North Citizens Council was chosen as the preferred developer.”
Since then, the citizens council has assembled eight parcels of land across 3.85 acres where the two buildings will be located.
“This is a significant investment by both parties on this property bringing significant, needed and important services to this community,” Martin said. “It is an exciting project and I think it’s one that is fitting for this community that has now brought something from the ashes – so to speak – to its fruition as a great and necessary project in Springfield.”
New North Citizens Council Executive Director Maria Ligus shared that when she took on this role in 2013, the building that housed her staff was condemned by the city – forcing her to relocate about 40 staff members across Springfield.
“It’s time to bring them back home,” said Ligus. Right now, the citizens council has 88 full-time employees and about 55 of those individuals would be returning to the new site. This would also bring back all their services such as housing, youth, workforce development and more.
Ligus expressed excitement in honoring Rivera, a well-known community activist. “Barbara Rivera was my mentor,” she said.
Ligus has been with New North for 35 ½ years and wants to leave a legacy – providing the community with a center that it does not currently have.
As this is the 50th year of New North, Chief Operating Officer Jose Claudio said, “[There is] not a better time for us to bring everybody together.”
He continued, “In our hearts it’s always been the community – the youth.” In this new building, it will have a gymnasium that will offer basketball and more.
“We are a nonprofit, but we also bring in a profit so that we can bring taxes to the city,” Claudio said. Not only will this bring businesses and jobs to the community, but also taxes that the city needs. “T.E.A.M. is going to come and do that for us since we are a nonprofit … It’s good to partner with a profit,” and make the city proud, he added.
Al Nardi, an architect working with New North on this project, informed the councilors that all the site plan drawings and details have been reviewed, including very detailed landscape plans, buffers and more.
Nardi said they plan to go out to bid within a month or so from when the meeting took place. He noted that underground concerns need to be addressed and some of the site dirt needs to be removed and replaced so that it can hold the building properly. This extra cost to New North has been planned in the budget.
With countless years of architectural experience in the city, Nardi recognized New North for being “quite an amazing group.”
“They have worried about every single detail in these buildings, right down to where the bus stop is [going to] be and the fact we only have one entrance off of Chestnut Street for two buildings rather than two or three entrances,” said Nardi. He shared that he is a proponent of the project and applauds New North for its efforts.
Councilor at Large Tracye Whitfield asked if the tax role that Claudio mentioned pertained to the medical portion and if spaces would be rented out to medical providers. Claudio explained that they would be constructing their own building and they are the entity that is going to pay – New North is just leasing the land so that they can pay for their building.
Ward 4 City Councilor Malo Brown commended Claudio for all his work on this project and said it is something that is needed.
Claudio replied, “It’s really a team effort with all our staff and everybody [else] to make sure that this gets done.”
Ward 6 Councilor Victor Davila said this is a visionary project and complemented Claudio, his staff and all the engineers who put this together. He went on to ask what type of medical practitioners would be going in there, to which Claudio said it will include chiropractors, among others.
“This has the potential to transform that area there [and] bring some new life into it … Some activity into it. So, my compliments to you and your team, sir,” added Davila.
Ward 8 Councilor Zaida Govan, also a former student at the Chestnut Street school, said, “I’m really excited that this project is going to have Barbara’s name on it and that it’s going to continue to serve the community that New North Citizens Council has been serving for a very long time.”
After the project goes out to bid, Nardi said it will take a “good part of the year” before it opens. The ground preparation will be done at the same time so that it is equal on both sides for the weight of the buildings.
Claudio noted that New Bank Valley will also be going into the community building, with walk-in service only.
Ward 2 Councilor Michael Fenton said he is excited for this project and is proud of the work everyone has done. “This is a terrific example of what all of Springfield can do when we work together and put our minds to something.”
Councilor at Large Kateri Walsh said, “I think this is a fabulous reuse of the building and I think it’s a wonderful tribute to the legacy of Barbara Rivera.”
The City Council unanimously approved the special permit. Ward 1 Councilor Maria Perez recused herself from the vote as she has been with New North Citizens Council for 43 years.