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Date: 1/9/2024
SPRINGFIELD — Square One will reestablish its South End location more than a decade after it was destroyed by the June 2011 tornado.
Twelve years ago, the tornado touched down and left a 6.2 mile long scar through Springfield and continued through Western Massachusetts, damaging and dismantling homes and businesses alike, including Square One’s 947 Main St. home.
The tornado not only caused physical damage, but also a “tremendous financial burden” to the nonprofit organization, Square One President and CEO Dawn DiStefano shared. As a result, in June 2016, Square One was forced to sell the land because of its “financially dire state.”
Following the coronavirus pandemic, the government offered one-time grant opportunities, especially for childcare. With those grants, Square One repurchased the land.
DiStefano noted that there was a residential parcel abutting the property that was also secured. “[We] had to go for a zone change because it was zoned business, merging with residential,” she said.
Plans for the new space include a 25,000-square-foot facility. The three-story building will have four pre-K classrooms, while the rest of the building will have space for home visitor preparation, along with administrative services.
DiStefano said Square One has been working on this for close to two years.
Currently, financials are being finalized, as about $14 million is required to do the project.
DiStefano noted that the organization is hoping to begin construction in April.
She went on to say that a lot of site plan — among other work — was completed before repurchasing the land, which saved an “enormous” amount of time.
Now, she said they are going through bureaucratic steps for approval.
DiStefano explained that Square One will be using a “butler building,” which she described as a hybrid of a prefabricated building. The building, which was designed on a computer, will have its four walls built in Tennessee, before being broken down and brought to Springfield to construct again.
She noted that this option is more cost efficient, as it saves a great deal of money on materials, as well as time.
The lease on Square One’s current space, 1095 Main St., in 2025. While DiStefano believes they could extend it, the goal is to be in the new building, 947 Main St., by then.
DiStefano shared that they moved into the 1095 Main St. location at a “very vulnerable” time, as the offices and classrooms were blown away in the tornado. In November 2012, a gas explosion occurred on Worthington Street in downtown Springfield which also took out Square One’s Chestnut Street childcare center.
“In the span of 18 months, [we] lost two Square One locations,” DiStefano said, which resulted in “a lot of lost revenue.”
The trifecta was the coronavirus pandemic, as childcare “shuttered” during this time, she added.
“[It has] been a real story of resiliency,” shared DiStefano.
In that storm, Square One was able to find funding sources that helped and applied for every grant.
Currently, Square One is paying $20,000 for rent per month. If they owned a building of similar size, DiStefano said, “What a relief that could be” to the nonprofit. She said the organization would rather spend money on the children.
At press time, DiStefano shared that Square One is halfway to its funding goal.
The first grant came from the city of Springfield in the amount of $950,000 from American Rescue Plan Act funds, which helped secure the land.
The second source of funding came from the local delegation — state Sen. Adam Gomez (D-Springfield) and state Rep. Carlos Gonzalez (D-Springfield). They, along with other legislators, were able to secure a $2 million earmark for Square One.
In mid-December, DiStefano said Square One secured some new market tax credit that will result in about $2 million into the project.
She noted that there is still work to do, however, she thinks it is a project that a lot of people see value in, as the individuals they serve are the most vulnerable children — many of which come from DCF and foster care and are on financial assistance.
“We are doing the work that our society should be proud of,” DiStefano concluded.