Is Springfield Regressing??

[ChriswUfGator]

I'm not understanding what really triggered the elitist bunch to move to Springfield in the first place, especially before it was gentrified? That's usually not how these things evolve & it skipped over a couple steps. I know the artist community & eccentrics were making a scene before, but it doesn't seem like it lasted long (I guess because they were run off??).

The way I understand it, that particular group (small at first, but wealthy & made a lot of noise) moved in quickly in the early to mid 2000's & wanted to take complete control of the entire neighborhood & see to it that it was molded (by force, not naturally) into their own image. Word got up to a lot of investors in Atlanta ("OMG, this is the next Buckhead!!") & then they followed suit, snatching up property left & right, half-assing a lot of businesses & restorations, etc. Bad decisions were made as the process played out, bridges were burned, real estate bubbles were popped, investors skipped town, until we're left with what it is today. It's lightened up a bit (mainly because of the crash), but many of those same people (the original ones) are still there & still in control with the same "Georgetown on my mind" attitudes, completely disconnected from reality, probably thinking "Ah, this market will pick right up & we'll just start back up where we left off".

Is that about the gist of it??

thats about right.  adding of course that they oversaw the demolition of a sizeable chunk of the historic structures and had slated the demos of a couple of hundred more before the young women surrounding SOS stepped in and put a stop to it.

You forgot to mention how SPAR thanked Preservation S.O.S. for all their hard work putting a stop to all those demolitions using their own money and volunteer labor. They called code enforcement to turn in Preservation S.O.S. for "graffiti" and forced them to paint over the red hearts that they'd had a local artist paint on the plywood window boards they paid for themselves to seal at-risk properties.

Thanks SPAR, I feel so much better without all that "graffiti."

[Miss Fixit]

Whether you think SPAR is "good" or "evil", Springfield is moving forward.  

Good things are happening through Preservation SOS, Sustainable Springfield, and SAMBA.

LOTS of cool new neighbors moving in - real estate is selling, and not just at rock bottom foreclosure prices.  And the people moving in are from all walks of life - students, retirees, those with just enough money to scrape together a rent deposit and some who would be considered upper middle class. Baptists and atheists and Episcopalians and agnostics. Hanging out together and getting things done, regardless of their race, creed or sexual orientation.

SPAR has some good new board members but still has a lot of internal problems and a lot of work to do before the mistakes of the past can be forgiven and neighborhood confidence in the organization established.  Not sure that will ever happen.  

So why don't we start a thread about what we can do to help Main Street and Springfield move in the right direction without (or in spite of) involvement by SPAR?  I know from personal experience that significant things can be accomplished with no help from (and in some cases roadblocks thrown up by) that group.  Let's do it.

[uptowngirl]

Whether you think SPAR is "good" or "evil", Springfield is moving forward. 

Good things are happening through Preservation SOS, Sustainable Springfield, and SAMBA.

LOTS of cool new neighbors moving in - real estate is selling, and not just at rock bottom foreclosure prices.  And the people moving in are from all walks of life - students, retirees, those with just enough money to scrape together a rent deposit and some who would be considered upper middle class. Baptists and atheists and Episcopalians and agnostics. Hanging out together and getting things done, regardless of their race, creed or sexual orientation.

SPAR has some good new board members but still has a lot of internal problems and a lot of work to do before the mistakes of the past can be forgiven and neighborhood confidence in the organization established.  Not sure that will ever happen. 

So why don't we start a thread about what we can do to help Main Street and Springfield move in the right direction without (or in spite of) involvement by SPAR?  I know from personal experience that significant things can be accomplished with no help from (and in some cases roadblocks thrown up by) that group.  Let's do it.

+1000

[Springfielder]

I'll second that +1000....and I thank Stephen for calling me young...LOL

Anyway, first and foremost in regards to Main street, is getting the owners of the vacant properties to either sell them at reasonable prices, or repair them enough to rent at reasonable prices. Until that happens, a great majority of Main street will remain stagnant.

[Miss Fixit]

Springfielder is right.  Unfortunately, no one can afford to move a business into the dilapidated buildings on Main Street at the prices currently asked for purchase or rent.  Some of those buildings aren't worth buying for free, they need that much rehabilitation.

We need to find a source of grant money.  Actually, we need to take advantage of existing sources such as those available because Springfield is an historic district AND part of the Brownfields/Empowerment area and we need to encourage the City to step up and contribute financially as well.

I know, lots of money was recently spent on Main Street.  Well, all that cash was just flushed down the toilet if nothing is done to bring business back to line those pretty new sidewalks.

[ChriswUfGator]

Springfielder is right.  Unfortunately, no one can afford to move a business into the dilapidated buildings on Main Street at the prices currently asked for purchase or rent.  Some of those buildings aren't worth buying for free, they need that much rehabilitation.

We need to find a source of grant money.  Actually, we need to take advantage of existing sources such as those available because Springfield is an historic district AND part of the Brownfields/Empowerment area and we need to encourage the City to step up and contribute financially as well.

I know, lots of money was recently spent on Main Street.  Well, all that cash was just flushed down the toilet if nothing is done to bring business back to line those pretty new sidewalks.

Miss Fixit, I'm not just harping on SPAR for my health, I really wish that were the case.

Sadly, SPAR received the LISC and facade grants, and they refuse to give out any of the money as it was originally intended, instead creating a list of asinine restrictions and requiring you to first spend more money with their contractor than the entire amount of the grant, in order to qualify for it. That is SPAR's version of a "grant" program.

I said a page or two ago that they need to be removed from handling the grants, and that a committee or something should take over for them, who will actually give the grants as they were intended. To my knowledge, maybe Stephen can chime in on this, but despite having been sitting on the money for this program for the past 3 or 4 years, to my knowledge SPAR has never funded a single grant. I'd like to see an accounting for that money, as a side note.

There were several people interested back in 2008 when the program was announced, but then they stopped talking about it. When you approached some of them "off the record" you got the rest of the story, which was that they were doing their typical B.S., refusing people grants who didn't fit their ideal (racial) demographic, and coming up with a bunch of bogus requirements about what type of business you could have, how it could look, and what contractors you used, and even how much you had to spend on other improvements (with their contractor!) to show your "level of commitment" before they'd finally give you the money they had already collected that was intended for facade grants.

[Miss Fixit]

ChriswUFGator, I didn't contradict or disagree with any of your previous posts about SPAR.  I'm just saying that we need to move beyond talking about SPAR's mistakes and get some things done, with or without that group.

And one solution may well be that some other group should be managing LISC money.  I don't know if that's the right thing or how to make that happen.  Do you?  I think I know your answer to the first question, but what about the second?

Nothing positive is going to come from repeating the same old discussions about SPAR's failures.

Again:  a LOT of good things have happened recently in Springfield.  SPAR has even been involved with some of those (the recent home tour, for example).  SPAR has had absolutely NO positive involvement in some of the others.  Let's talk about what else we can accomplish, not about what SPAR has screwed up in the past.

[ChriswUfGator]

ChriswUFGator, I didn't contradict or disagree with any of your previous posts about SPAR.  I'm just saying that we need to move beyond talking about SPAR's mistakes and get some things done, with or without that group.

And one solution may well be that some other group should be managing LISC money.  I don't know if that's the right thing or how to make that happen.  Do you?  I think I know your answer to the first question, but what about the second?

Nothing positive is going to come from repeating the same old discussions about SPAR's failures.

Again:  a LOT of good things have happened recently in Springfield.  SPAR has even been involved with some of those (the recent home tour, for example).  SPAR has had absolutely NO positive involvement in some of the others.  Let's talk about what else we can accomplish, not about what SPAR has screwed up in the past.

I think SAMBA is a far more appropriate organization to receive the LISC money and to handle any facade grant programs, because SAMBA doesn't have the internal politics and social problems SPAR has. My suggestion would be for SAMBA to submit a grant application and proposal to LISC, and for the neighborhood to demonstrate support by a letter-writing campaign or in-person meetings, and see if SAMBA can't become the recipient and administrator of the LISC grants moving forward.

I mean, in 4 years SPAR had yet to fund (to my knowledge) even a single grant. It's ridiculous, and there is only so much grant money to go around. The problem isn't that there aren't grant programs, it's that SPAR has been collecting the money and refusing to give any of it out. SAMBA should take over.

[sheclown]

SAMBA has an impressive board at this point.  I'm optimistic about the group and see good things coming down the road.  

Matter of fact, the two lawyers who pulled Springfield out from the ash issue are on the board.  The driving force behind a new urbane design for construction in Springfield is on the board along with the contractor who is running for city council and the engineer who has made cool spaces work in historic places.

And a pastor who brought a social service to Main Street, made it a cool hip ice cream spot, and is still standing bodes well for his tenacity.  Add that to a very successful candy culture maker and I think this group could do anything.

[nvrenuf]

As a board member of Preservation SOS, I feel the need to state that we do not know who issued the complaint regarding the artwork on the houses we secured. Assuming it was SPAR is just that, an assumption. Unless someone else on the board knows something that they are not sharing with the rest of us, which I HIGHLY doubt, those statements are not coming from us.

[sheclown]

As a board member of Preservation SOS, I feel the need to state that we do not know who issued the complaint regarding the artwork on the houses we secured. Assuming it was SPAR is just that, an assumption. Unless someone else on the board knows something that they are not sharing with the rest of us, which I HIGHLY doubt, those statements are not coming from us.

I second what Never said. 

[strider]

Preservation SOS did hear from SPAR Council that the artwork on the house was not liked by an unknown person or persons.  That is perhaps why they are getting blamed.  Does not really matter in the big scheme of things.

SPAR Council has had years to make progress and regardless of why, very little has been made.  You never see their staff, who are charged with the development of the commercial corridor, out and about the street, going to the businesses they are charged to help and support. One would think that getting out there and seeing for yourself what is going on, hearing from the various business owners, yes, including the pawn shop, what they feel is needed would be the best use of their time and LISC's money.

SAMBA needs a direction, in my opinion.  They have been sort of searching for their place in the scheme of things for several years.  With the newer talent on board and a push from the community, perhaps they can take the lead in the commercial corridor development.  Brent Staton, who has been a leader primarily for Metro North but also Springfield, would be a great resource.  Perhaps a sort of partnership with Metro North for something to get things kicked off?

[peestandingup]

Well then shouldn't the neighborhood sorta have to ask itself if SPAR even needs to exist at this point? I mean, I'm not going to pretend I have all the hard fact in front of me from just reading on an internet forum, but if this stuff is all true, it seems they've done way more harm than good.

Main Street's an unwalkable uninviting mess now & a ghost town, all the demolitions, the bus stops, the hoarding of grant money that's desperately needed, etc. That's all pretty bad. Sure, new members here & there might help, but still.

[ChriswUfGator]

As a board member of Preservation SOS, I feel the need to state that we do not know who issued the complaint regarding the artwork on the houses we secured. Assuming it was SPAR is just that, an assumption. Unless someone else on the board knows something that they are not sharing with the rest of us, which I HIGHLY doubt, those statements are not coming from us.

Ok...well I am not sure what kind of a smoking gun you're looking for, beyond the fact that;

1: SPAR called up people with Preservation S.O.S. complaining about not liking the artwork.
2: SPAR was told the art was meant to express care for the historic properties and wasn't coming down.
3: Immediately afterwards, a bunch of bogus anonymous code enforcement complaints were made about the same artwork on the same house that SPAR had just called Preservation S.O.S. and complained about.

I'm not going to get into another one of these debates where everyone wants to stare at a smoking gun and remain in some bizarre state of denial about what SPAR was up to. It's painfully obvious who was behind the bogus code complaints, I really don't what you could say in their defense? It's blatantly obvious who did it.

[iloveionia]

To me, it doesn't matter who filed the complaint. And I have no facts or proof as to who did. I will say that Preservation SOS did a hell of a lot in a short period of time to prevent all preventable demolitions and make way for legislation change for mothballing and protecting our homes. If painting over hearts saves more homes, I'll go paint over all the rest. And honestly, I giggle when I think that that is all someone could complain about, the art and hearts. From time to time I am reminded that "hey" damn it, we stopped demolitions! And I smile with great content.

A group of mindful and committed citizens can change the world. Let's go out there and do it.