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Date: 12/26/2023
SPRINGFIELD — With the end of 2023 rapidly approaching, Reminder Publishing took a look back at some of the major storylines that helped shape Springfield over the past year.
What do you feel made the year memorable for the city of Springfield? Let us know by sending a letter to the editor to cmaza@thereminder.com.
Historic election
Springfield’s 2023 election cycle was one of the most complex in the city’s recent memory. In addition to the strongest challenge to Mayor Domenic Sarno’s administration, interest in at-large City Council positions was high with 21 candidates initially vying for five seats. Incumbent councilors in Wards 4 and 6 also faced challengers.
In the end, Sarno still comfortably retained his position, garnering roughly 48% of the vote against a stacked preliminary field in September that included City Councilor Justin Hurst, state Rep. Orlando Ramos, City Council President Jesse Lederman and resident David Ciampi before receiving 57.1% of the vote compared to Hurst’s 42.3% in the November election.
The election was not entirely drama-free, however. leading up to the Nov. 7 election, Hurst and his campaign faced scrutiny following a media report that alleged at least one member of Hurst’s team was paying individuals $10 in exchange for votes for Hurst. Signed affidavits from City Clerk Gladys Oyola-Lopez, Clerk’s Office Elections Specialist Chelsea Parmentier, several election workers and a Springfield police officer obtained by Reminder Publishing detailed unusual activity during an early voting period in late October. That alleged activity included multiple queries from voters transported to the early voting location at City Hall as to where they would collect $10 or receive food in exchange for voting. City Solicitor John Payne sent a letter to the Hampden District Attorney’s Office requesting an investigation. Oyola-Lopez in her affidavit indicated a member of the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office told her they would contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Hurst hosted a press conference on Nov. 1, denying the allegations that his campaign paid for votes and in turn accused the Sarno administration and staff of a coordinated effort to manufacture a scandal. When asked if he had been contacted by investigators, he said, “They can investigate all they want. There will never be anything there.”
On the night of the preliminary election, Sarno was also forced to suspend his election gathering to address a major water main break that impacted large portions of the city’s access to water, prompted a boil order and shut down schools.
Hurst vowed to run for mayor again in 2027.
For City Council at-large, incumbents Katerie Walsh, Tracye Whitfield and Sean Curran retained their seats while former City Councilor Brian Santaniello and Jose Delgado, who served as director of former Gov. Charlie Baker’s Western Massachusetts office, took seats vacated by Lederman and Hurst.
Ward 6 City Councilor Victor Davila handily outpaced Shanequa Fryar and Humberto Caro in the preliminary before cruising to victory in November over Fryar. Ward 4 Councilor Malo Brown trounced challenger Abdul-Kareem Kibodaya, a former intern for Sarno and state Rep. Carlos Gonzalez (D-Springfield) who was also a local campaign official for U.S. Rep. Richard Neal (D-Springfield) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Cambridge).
Voter turnout was better than in past elections featuring mayor’s races, but was still low with 13.56% coming out for the preliminary and less than 19% going to the polls for the November election.
Board of Police Commissioners makes progress
After a rocky start, the Board of Police Commissioners is gaining its footing.
The board was reestablished after years of dormancy following a decision by the Supreme Judicial Court in January 2022, settling a dispute between Sarno and the City Council regarding the resurrection of the board following the Department of Justice’s investigation and deeply critical takedown of the Springfield Police Department’s now dismantled narcotics unit. Since then, the board experienced initial growing pains and criticism from the City Council, Sarno and Lederman for its representation at meetings and decisions.
In 2023, the board, in conjunction with the Compliance Evaluator Team and the Department of Justice, developed a draft manual to provide guidance and training to members on the board’s purpose, scope, engagement with the city and Police Department, board organization, duties and responsibilities, orientation and training, among other topics. As part of this process, the draft was made available to the public for comment and the board hosted a community engagement meeting to garner additional feedback.
In its final quarterly meeting of the year, the City Council heard an update on the oversight and implementation of the Department of Justice consent decree and Board of Police Commissioners at which City Solicitor John Pain said the city has been “making good headway.”
Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood added she was “pleased” at the progress, and it is an “extensive change” in the way the Police Department operates. She said the department has implemented the first give changes sought by the Department of Justice with regard to use of force, an independent investigation use policy, and vehicle and foot pursuit. Additionally, the department has developed and collectively bargained with patrol officers and supervisors on a field training officer program and new evaluation procedures.
Board of Police Commissioners Chair Albert Tranghese indicated it has increased efforts to be accessible to the public and the department. He also lauded the city’s body-worn camera program, saying it provided the commissioners with a “tremendous view” when assessing situations.
Courthouse replacement efforts advance
In a long-awaited response to calls to replace the Roderick J. Ireland Courthouse on State Street, the Healey-Driscoll administration has taken the first significant steps in developing a new hall of justice.
Over the summer, Gov. Maura Healey stated that her “administration envisions the Springfield court complex as an opportunity to build a courthouse of the future” while including $106 million in the administration’s fiscal year 2024-28 Capital Improvement Plan toward planning for said courthouse.
The administration followed that up with the November release of a request for proposals seeking land for sale for the development of a new facility, which would house the Hampden County Superior Court, the Springfield District Court, the Hampden Probate and Family Court, the Western Housing Court, the Hampden Juvenile Court, the Hampden District Attorney’s Office and the Hampden County Registry of Deeds.
In May, DCAMM released the Springfield Courts Complex Relocation Assessment report in which it identified 13 potential sites — state and privately owned — including the current courthouse location. DCAMM made it clear in the RFP announcement, however, that that report would have “no bearing” on the RFP or review process as “no site has been prioritized or ruled out.”
The Hampden County Hall of Justice was originally built in the early 1970s. It was renamed in 2017 in honor of Ireland, a Springfield native who served as the first Black chief justice on the Massachusetts Judicial Court from 2010-2014.
In 2021, Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni evacuated his staff from the building due to environmental concerns, as did Register of Deeds Cheryl Coakley-Rivera. Coakley-Rivera subsequently filed a lawsuit in 2022 that resulted in a settlement the required DCAMM complete a site assessment and feasibility study for the renovation of the existing structure or construction of a new courthouse, and “dehumidification” and cleaning of the current building. The results of the cleaning project were met with additional complaints and dissatisfaction.
Gulluni and Coakley-Rivera praised the announcement of the RFP, but the latter still voiced serious concerns for those still working in the current facility.
While several ideas have been tossed around, one of the most prominent is the one supported by Mayor Domenic Sarno. That plan, brought forward by local businessman and real estate developer Peter Picknelly and his firm Opal, could cost upwards of $300 million and would include an 11-story residential center with 120 to 180 one-and two-bedroom apartments with first floor retail and restaurant space and a 50-slip marina in addition to the courthouse on the city’s North End riverfront.
The property under that proposal would be accessible via Avocado Street. State Rep. Angelo Puppolo (D-Springfield) also supported this proposal. Coakley-Rivera opined that a private development could be a safer and more efficient solution for replacing the courthouse, citing the North End proposal as the only one currently proposed, but also indicating would in interested in hearing other plans as well.
City Council President Jesse Lederman and Vice President Melvin Edwards have pushed their own concept that could allow for a new Hampden County hall of justice to be combined with a new headquarters for the Springfield Police Department.
Entertainment, cultural attractions boast economic impact
Separate reports reported that the Springfield Thunderbirds hockey franchise and Springfield’s nonprofit arts groups produce significant economic benefits to the city.
In October, the Thunderbirds celebrated a report compiled by the Donahue Institute at the University of Massachusetts Amherst that showed over the seven years of the hockey team’s history the overall economic impact has been $126 million, with $76 million making up cumulative personal income created and $10 million paid to state and local taxes.
An analysis of game night spending showed that 78% of fans spend money on something other than hockey when they go to a game. Sixty-eight percent of the fans spend money at a bar, restaurant or at MGM Springfield. The median amount spent is $40 per person, according to the report.
The team started with 112 jobs created and this year that number has grown to 236 jobs.
Additionally, the report said the Thunderbirds have raised $300,000 for its charitable T-Birds Foundation and its mascot, Boomer, as well as team members, have made 1,500 appearances in the region.
A separate study conducted by Americans for the Arts that was also released in October showed the nonprofit arts and culture industry generated $82.4 million in economic activity in fiscal year 2022. The last time this survey was taken was in 2015 when the amount was $50 million, according to Karen Finn, executive director of Springfield Cultural Partnership.
Key figures from the study include:
Passenger rail project chugs forward
In September, Gov. Maura Healey and U.S. Rep. Richard Neal (D-Springfield) announced a $108 million federal grant for East-West Rail, a project designed to connect Boston to Western Massachusetts and beyond through high-speed rail.
The complete rail project from Boston to Pittsfield is expected to cost about $2 billion. Neal said Healey is invested in finishing the project, which will include a high-speed rail line to Pittsfield, where it will connect to New York, and the creation of a working train station at stops where there is none, such as Palmer.
Union Station is the rail hub in Springfield. A $94 million refurbishment led to the reopening of the station in 2017 after being closed for 45 years. In his remarks, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno referred to Union Station as “the house that Neal built,” a reference to the more than $21 million in federal funding the congressman secured for the project.
The project has brought in regional, local and private partners, including CSX and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Grafton-Upton rail line. Tibbits-Nutt said the cross-state rail line would do more than connect Western Massachusetts to Boston. It would also connect the western half of the state with Central Massachusetts. Connections with the existing lines, the Valley Flyer and the Hartford Line, would allow people to travel north to Greenfield or south to New Haven, Connecticut.
Passenger trains along the system are expected to travel approximately 80 miles an hour, making the trip from Springfield to Boston in about two hours. The fastest existing line, Amtrak’s Lakeshore Limited, makes that trip in about three and a half hours. Most rail trips between the eastern and western parts of the state run more than four hours.
Eastfield Mall closes, demolition begins
The Eastfield Mall officially closed for business on July 15, culminating an era of shopping in the city that began in 1968.
The owner of the majority of the property on the site, Needham-based firm called Onyx, has since initiated the demolition of much of the existing structure to redevelop the property as Springfield Crossing.
The Springfield City Council approved a special permit for the project in March. Onyx will invest between $65 and $80 million on a revamped 361,000-square-foot shopping and dining center, with a projected 20 to 30 tenants, according to Principal Anton Melchionda. The redevelopment does not include the parcel on which the former Sears department store sits, according to Springfield Crossing Vice President Brian Kaplan.
With the closure came the displacement of a number of businesses, most of them locally owned. The Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council assisted man of the businesses that called the mall home in identifying new accommodations. While several tenants remained in the city, including Dress for Success Western Massachusetts, Mykonos II and Hanoush Jewelers, several found locations elsewhere. Those included the popular Donovan’s Irish Pub, which moved to the former Slainte restaurant building at 80 Jarvis Ave. in Holyoke. A number of others relocated to the other prominent Hampden County mall — the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside.
The Mall Barber Shop and School of Fish fish store both relocated to Wilbraham. Meanwhile, Incredible Toys and Millennium Nails relocated to Ludlow. Two businesses, Calm Panda Smartshop and New Age Wrestling, moved south of the border to the Enfield Square Mall, however recent media reports have indicated that mall is also being eyed for redevelopment.
Ramos earmarked $50,000 from the fiscal year 2024 budget for the Western Mass EDC to be evenly distributed to the micro business that stayed in Springfield.
Grant to support development of digital equity plan
Springfield officials announced in November that the city had received a grant it applied for over the summer that would assist in its efforts to bridge the digital divide.
Sarno announced the receipt of the $102,025 award from the Massachusetts Broadband Institute’s Municipal Digital Equity Planning Program and explained that it would be used to develop the city’s digital equity plan in partnership with the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission. The city announced in July it had applied for the program following a meeting between Sarno, Ward 2 City Councilor Michael Fenton, who serves as the chair of the City Council’s Working Group on Digital Equity, and working group members Archbishop Timothy Paul Baymon and Springfield Public Library Assistant Director Jean Canosa Albano.
Fenton has been leading the Working Group on Digital Equity and Internet Access since it was first established by City Council President Lederman in March. He explained the plan would enable the city to access resources through federal initiatives such as the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program, which is designed to expand high-speed internet in the 50 states, Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories. Massachusetts received a $147 million allocation for these efforts in June.
PVPC Executive Director Kimberly Robinson said the organization had been working with the city on neighborhood plans for over a year and “moving into the space of digital equity is absolutely the next step.” She added preliminary conversations have already begun and initial feedback from residents reflects that accessibility and affordability are two primary barriers when addressing the digital gap.
Springfield Symphony Orchestra, musicians strike deal
After an extended and public dispute, the Springfield Symphony Orchestra announced in May a labor agreement with the union representing its musicians that ensured its musical programming for another two seasons. The collectively bargained labor agreement will be in effect for the current 2023-24 season as well as the 2024-25 season.
Springfield Symphony Orchestra musicians had continued performing in spite of the labor dispute, which had reached an impasse during the summer of 2022. In response to the stalemate, the musicians’ union, American Federation of Musicians Local 171, filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board in February and a trial was scheduled for May 9. Harvey S. Mars, lead negotiator for the union, informed Reminder Publishing at that time that without a negotiated settlement, the issue would be decided at trial. In accordance with the agreement announced on May 4, the union dropped its complaint.
As part of the agreement, Springfield pledged $280,000 over the course of the two-year contract in support of the orchestra’s youth educational programs. Additionally, the Sarno administration had announced a day prior a separate $80,000 American Rescue Plan Act grant award to the Springfield Symphony Orchestra to fund transportation and staffing for youth programming.
The organization formed by the musicians during the labor dispute, aptly named the Musicians of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, transitioned into a new entity called the Springfield Chamber Players, which will produce chamber music concerts such as the Longmeadow Chamber Series. As part of the labor agreement, the Springfield Chamber Players will not compete with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra in the fundraising arena. Recognizing the Springfield Chamber Players as its own entity, the Springfield Symphony Orchestra will continue to produce full symphony concerts while transitioning chamber performances to the new organization.
MGM Springfield experiences ups and downs
MGM Springfield marked the debut, reopening or expansion of several of its offerings in 2023 but also dealt with setbacks in the form of cybersecurity and labor issues.
The year started with a candid meeting between MGM Resorts International CEO William Hornbuckle joined Mayor Domenic Sarno, MGM Springfield President Chris Kelley and Ward 2 City Councilor Michael Fenton in January on the state of the casino and the host community agreement.
The conversation included a slew of positive updates, such as the announcement of MGM Springfield’s on location sportsbook and BetMGM online service on Jan. 31, alongside an honest realization of the casino’s performance thus far. Hornbuckle acknowledged that the casino would possibly have not been built in Springfield had the current market conditions been previously known.
“Our original valuation of this market simply was, off full stop … We thought there would be more business here than ultimately materialized,” said Hornbuckle.
While the organization has met contractual obligations via tax payments, including $107 million to Springfield and $347 million to the state, it has struggled to meet other promises, most notably its job projection of 3,000 upon opening. An independent report of the economic impacts of the casino’s first year of operation prepared the University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute’s Economic and Public Policy Research Group stated that, upon opening, MGM Springfield employed just over 3,000 employees but that number fell by just over 30 percent during the first year of operation.
In January, the casino employed 1,400 people and had 290 open positions. Based on those numbers, Hornbuckle believed that an employee base of 2,000 workers is a more realistic goal for the casino. At an April City Council Casino Oversight Committee meeting, Kelley reported there were still 200 open full- and part-time positions.
Also in January, the casino launched it on-site sportsbook and its parent company followed that up with the release of BetMGM, its online sportsbook application. The advent of sports betting in Massachusetts followed years of legislative deliberations.
February also represented a time of celebration for the casino as MGM Springfield President Chris Kelley, Mayor Domenic Sarno’s Chief of Staff Tom Ashe and Ward 2 City Councilor and Casino Oversight Committee Chair Michael Fenton announced the return of several amenities following coronavirus-pandemic shutdowns and restrictions. Among those were new or expanded hours and offerings at the complex’s restaurants, as well as the Tap Sports Bar Bowling Lanes and Top Golf. In March, the casino also marked the reopening of the Indian Motorcycle store, which now also features Thunderbirds merchandise.
In September, MGM Springfield, along with MGM Resorts properties nationwide, was victim to a cyberattack aimed at the gambling giant’s U.S.-based computer systems. The attack forced the company to shut down its systems, causing significant disruptions in services at the company’s properties, including gaming machines, payment kiosks and hotel reservation capabilities. Even with the shutdown, however, the incident resulted in a breach that exposed some customers’ personal information.
Hackers were able to obtain other information, including customers’ names, contact information, genders, dates of birth and driver’s license numbers of customers. Additionally, some of these customers’ social security and passport numbers were compromised. The incident specifically impacted customers who did business with MGM Resorts prior to March 2019. MGM Springfield had recently celebrated the fifth anniversary of its August 2018 grand opening. The number of impacted MGM Springfield visitors was unclear.
MGM Resorts claimed in October its systems were again running normally and Hornbuckle said, “As part of our remediation efforts, we have rebuilt, restored, and further strengthened portions of our IT environment.”
In late October, Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s office announced a $6.8 million settlement with MGM following an investigation into wage and hour violations. The office’s Fair Labor Division started receiving complaints about the management’s practices shortly after the casino’s 2018 opening. In all, 2,036 were impacted workers — the majority of whom were hourly workers, including table game dealers, banquet servers and bartenders, ushers, kitchen staff, casino floor and hotel staff, warehouse personnel, cleaners and security personnel — received a share of $461,587.36 in restitution. The remaining nearly $6.4 million was to be paid as a penalty to the commonwealth.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, complainants alleged MGM management illegally participated in wait staff tip pooling, underpaid service-rate employees for overtime and required security to work through meal breaks without compensation.
In the end, the Attorney General’s Office determined MGM Springfield had committed a series of wage and hour violations — failure to pay minimum wage to tipped employees, failure to pay overtime wages, unlawful tip retention by management, failure to make timely payments of wages, and failure to provide paid earned sick time.