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Managing Editor SPRINGFIELD Michael Graney, president of Springfield Riverfront Development Corporation, welcomed the announcement on Nov. 1 that a new development team is tackling the challenge of the city's riverfront area. Graney's group has been one of several non-exclusive developers for the former Basketball Hall of Fame building and is looking forward to working with Dennis Serna and Timothy Mulcahy of the Connecticut Riverfront Development Corporation (CRDC) Graney told Reminder Publications that the CRDC's plans for the riverfront has pushed the old Hall of Fame redevelopment "toward greater likelihood of development." Serna and Mulcahy conducted a press conference at the new Basketball Hall of Fame where the pair announced they would move forward to see if their plans so far are feasible. They have 135 days to do so. If they elect to continue their efforts, they will present a more detailed proposal to city officials who then have 45 days to evaluate it. CRDC would develop the area in three phases. The first would be building a hotel on the property that is now Riverfront Park. The second would be the re-development of the former Hall of Fame. The third would be the demolition of the York Street Jail and the construction of a retail center at its site. Mulcahy said that, at this time, he and his partner could not be more specific about the format or tenants of the third phase. The CRDC proposal would use private funding and Mulcahy, while not citing a specific number, called the investment "significant." Mayor Charles Ryan has meeting with the CRDC and the Control Board on the proposal for the last six or seven months. "I have significant optimism [about the proposal]," Ryan said. He described the plan as "new thinking and new ideas." Ryan and Congressman Richard Neal both had the same suggestions for concessions the two developers should make to the city in their proposal, Anthony Cignoli of A.L. Cignoli, told the assembled press and guests. CRDC has agreed to build a boat ramp for use by the city's Police Department, establish a police sub-station in the area and redevelop and revitalize the bike and walking path by the river. Neal has committed to help CRDC work with both Amtrak and the CSX railroad over the issue of accessibility to the hotel property, as it is on the other side of the tracks. Serna called the present Riverfront Park "incredible" and "very under-used." He said his goal would be to create an entrance that ties that area into downtown and into the improvements that are being made along the State Street corridor. Mulcahy said that, because of the historic status of the jail, re-developing that phase will have some additional hurdles. Serna and Mulcahy expressed hopes that they can work with Graney, but added that regardless of the outcome of Phase Two, the other two phases would continue. Graney has been working to turn the former Hall into a public market along the lines of the Portland (Maine) Public Market or Pike's Place in Seattle, WA. His idea would be to have a center that would be exclusively local food vendors who would sell food to bring home, as well as local produce and other products. Graney's project would be financed with a combination of state and federal funds. | ||||||
