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Date: 3/8/2023
SPRINGFIELD — Working to preserve the city’s rich history and famed architectural structures since 1972, the Springfield Preservation Trust continues its advocation as a dedicated, volunteer-driven group. The trust hosted their annual meeting on Feb. 25, reflecting on their achievements in 2022 and looking forward to the year ahead with their new leadership, President Erica Swallow and Vice President James Johnson. The gathering was the organization’s first in-person annual meeting since 2019.
The meeting took place at the Willys-Overland Building on 151-157 Chestnut St. — an area of special significance to the trust. Davenport Companies spent $15 million on redeveloping the historic structure into 60 modern apartments that opened in 2020. While the interior is sleek and packed with amenities, such as laundry machines and a community room, the developer preserved the structure’s historic exterior in the remolding process.
The Springfield Preservation Trust views projects like the Willys-Overland Building as essential extension of their mission. Outgoing Springfield Preservation Trust President Derek Strahan discussed how one of the organization’s achievements in 2022 was helping to change the demolition delay ordinance from 100-year-old buildings to 75-year-old buildings. This provides additional protection for aged structures, giving them a chance to discover a redevelopment purpose.
Strahan highlighted several other achievements by the trust in 2022. For the organization’s 50th anniversary, the trust organized an exhibit in the Springfield Museums that spotlighted their work and some of the city’s historic structures. The Springfield Preservation Trust also continued several of their educational programs. They hosted virtual lectures that became popular during the coronavirus pandemic while also reintroducing their Saturday Walking Tours that explore historic facets in the community.
Another impactful effort by the Springfield Preservation Trust was their advocacy to protect the former Springfield Isolation Hospital at 1414 State St. During the City Council’s Nov. 28, 2022, meeting, the city’s planning and economic development team requested a Residence C to Business A zone change for the property. However, the request was being made without a redeveloper attached to the project.
Swallow stressed that a zone change should not occur without a redeveloper in place for the project. The trust wanted to ensure that any potential redevelopment honored the site’s historical significance as one of the city’s largest art deco buildings.
“The trust urges councilors to oppose the proposed zone change until a formal redevelopment plan is submitted for the property due to importance of preserving the historic and architectural significance of the site,” said Swallow during the Nov. 28 meeting.
The zone change was ultimately denied by the council. The preservation trust also helped advocate for the building to be named to the Preservation Massachusetts Most Endangered List.
The Springfield Isolation Hospital building is one of 13 Springfield properties highlighted on their 2023 Most Endangered Historic Resources List. Springfield Preservation Trust member Kira Holmes highlighted the significance of each property. Many of the locations, such as 15 Hawley St. and 63 Mulberry St., face the potential threat of impending demolition.
Here is the full 2023 Most Endangered Historic Resources List:
Springfield Preservation Trust Board of Director Robert McCarroll showcased a presentation on how the Community Preservation Act (CPA) aids the trust’s mission. The CPA is overseen by the Community Preservation Committee and has distributed roughly $10 million in funding to various projects over five years – with roughly 20 of the financial awards benefiting historic properties.
Some of the projects include the exterior renovations for the George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum, the trolley pavilion at Forest Park and Brookings School. McCarroll stressed that the CPA provides essential preservation throughout Springfield.
“Not only is it helping to fix buildings, landscapes and statues, it’s also helping greatly to protect them,” said McCarroll.
Additionally, Swallow and Johnson discussed their vision as the trust’s new leaders. Johnson explained how the trust can help enhance Springfield into a more significant tourist destination through some of their programs and events. He spotlighted the city as a destination – a community with rich history that can be more economically accessible to visitors than bigger metropolitans.
“We have some of the best buildings and best houses in Massachusetts … We’re in downtown, you can see the opportunities,” said Johnson.
Johnson shared that the trust will be looking to expand some of their events to create grand celebrations, such as a “Great Gatsby-themed” party. He hopes to utilize “different social settings where [the trust] can capture the city’s history.”
“We want to continue with that rich history we have,” said Johnson.
Swallow discussed some of the Springfield Preservation Trust’s key goals. After raising $50,000 in funding through memberships, grants, donations and sponsors, Swallow set a goal of $100,000 for 2023.
Swallow and the trust will also advocate for the city to hire a full-time preservation planner. With the trust working on an entirely volunteer basis, Swallow believes this potential inclusion could be instrumental in supporting the preservation of city properties.
“One of the ways we can make sure our city continues an emphasis on historic preservation is to make sure someone with the city is focusing on that work,” said Swallow.
The annual meeting concluded with a presentation from Davenport Companies Asset Manager Joy Martin on the ongoing development of the historic 169 Maple St. property known as the Parsons complex. Previously, the restoration project, which will transform the building into an 11-unit residential space with three-bedroom units, received special permit approval from the City Council during its Nov. 29 meeting.
Similar to their efforts with the Willys-Overland Building, Martin said Davenport will modernize the building’s exterior and maintain the structure’s historic integrity. She views the housing units as “opportunities for families to have rental options” at a market-rate value.
“While it will be modernized on the inside, a lot of the detail [on the outside] will remain,” said Martin.
Martin discussed Davenport’s focus on continuing to embrace redevelopment projects, such as another ongoing rehabilitation project at 162-172 Lyman St. that will create a mixed-use residential development.
“We realized there was an opportunity to do things two-fold – expand residential housing at rents reflective of Springfield economy and preserve buildings that are here,” said Martin.
Readers can learn more about the Springfield Preservation Trust at https://springfieldpreservation.org/.