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Date: 2/2/2022
SPRINGFIELD – During the council’s first hearings meeting of the year, the City Council discussed special permits for two storied State Street properties at their Jan. 24 meeting.
President and CEO of First Resource Company Gordon Pulsifer discussed both permits located on 195 State St. and 310 State St. Pulsifer highlighted the former location, which was built in 1900, was the former main office of the Springfield Public Schools. After numerous attempts by the city to revitalize the space via Request for Proposal (RFP) submissions, Pulsifer said First Resource Company responded in July 2021 before being selected by the city in October 2021.
Pulsifer expressed his intent to re-purpose the space into residential housing, a transformation that First Resource Company continues to adopt with properties throughout the city. “Many of you have seen our redesigned apartment communities resulting in significant change to inner-city neighborhoods,” said Pulsifer.
The president of First Resource Company said the 195 State St. location would feature 41 residential apartments, including six studio apartments, 32 one-bedroom, and three two-bedroom apartments. With both locations being a part of the historic Lower Maple Historic District, Pulsifer shared that the properties will be renovated with approval from the Springfield and Massachusetts Historic Commissions.
In regard to the 310 State St. permit request, Pulsifer shared a similar vision for resurrecting the dormant property. The space, which was built in 1924 and utilized originally as the Federal Land Bank of Springfield, would be transformed to include 52 residential apartments. The proposed complex is set to feature seven studio apartments, 37 one-bedroom apartments and eight two-bedroom apartments.
The council acknowledged Pulsifer’s well-documented track record within the city. Ward 5 Councilor Malo Brown expressed that the real estate president continues to work sincerely within the city, commending him for his work with different properties like the Mason Square Apartments and Maple Common Apartments. He also remains an active advocate in the community, with Brown sharing that Pulsifer and his company donated to neighborhood councils while offering housing to displaced individuals.
“Not only does he do great work, but he honestly cares about the community…I’ve seen his finished results and his continuous effort to make sure that he has a positive impact in the area he’s providing services,” said Brown, who referenced Pulsifer’s work installing security measures and a crosswalk in a dangerous intersection where someone passed away in an accident. Ward 1 Councilor Maria Perez and Councilor At-Large Kateri Walsh echoed Brown’s sentiments about Pulsifer’s important role in the community.
Councilor At-Large Tracye Whitfield also thanked Pulsifer for making changes from his last City Council meeting, including adding parking and open park space to the space’s development. She also encouraged him to educate aspiring local business owners about the several grants First Resource Company utilized to complete their projects. “We definitely want you here, but in some collaborations, partnerships and also making local construction companies or contractors aware of funding,” said Whitfield.
Ward 6 Councilor Victor Davila and Ward 2 Councilor Michael Fenton expressed some concerns about overcrowding the space with two residential areas, fearing that the fusion of new people could worsen traffic concerns. Pulsifer ensured the parking additions will help mitigate any potential overflow.
Both items are set to be continued in a future City Council meeting.
The council will meet again on Feb. 7.