[SoonToBeGone1]

Oh yes! The gear-shaper / Springfield Hospital Project. A well known contaminated industrial site that needs major clean up and is on the Brownfield List and has been for some time. I think I will go to a different hospital if that ever happens.

[OhBeeHave]

Originally Posted by SoonToBeGone1

Oh yes! The gear-shaper / Springfield Hospital Project. A well known contaminated industrial site that needs major clean up and is on the Brownfield List and has been for some time. I think I will go to a different hospital if that ever happens.

Which is better: Cleaning up a contaminated site and refitting the plant for a new purpose, or belly-aching that nothing is being done and it has become an eyesore?


http://www.rutlandherald.com/article...44/1003/NEWS02

"This award will not only help mitigate blighted areas of the former Fellows property, but also pave the way for new job creation, as well as restore an important part of Springfield's historic downtown," Douglas said. "This revitalization project is a perfect example of Vermont's commitment to redeveloping its downtowns and villages as centers of social and commercial activity."

[ex-springfielder]

[quote=OhBeeHave;11384043]Which is better: Cleaning up a contaminated site and refitting the plant for a new purpose, or belly-aching that nothing is being done and it has become an eyesore?

The last I knew Vermont Machine Tool was located in the north building of the old Gear Shaper complex. That will make an interesting combination with a hospital building next door. I believe I read that the hospital was going to use the space for offices. The Gear Shaper moved out of that building in 1971 or 72, obviously things move slow in Springfield. Now what is the town going to do with the old J&L and Bryant buildings which are at the southern entrance to the town and rapidly deteriorating?

[OhBeeHave]

Originally Posted by ex-springfielder

The last I knew Vermont Machine Tool was located in the north building of the old Gear Shaper complex. That will make an interesting combination with a hospital building next door. I believe I read that the hospital was going to use the space for offices. The Gear Shaper moved out of that building in 1971 or 72, obviously things move slow in Springfield. Now what is the town going to do with the old J&L and Bryant buildings which are at the southern entrance to the town and rapidly deteriorating?

Here are some snippets from the link I included on my last post:

The grant will mean that the Washington, D.C.-based developers of the sprawling machine tool factory can start demolition of some of the most dilapidated sections of the complex in November......

"The town of Springfield and the state of Vermont have been vital in assisting us throughout this project and these funds will help us address restoration issues on the site immediately," .......
The main building already has its anchor tenant: The former home of the Fellows Gear Shaper will be turned into doctors' offices and a health clinic of Springfield Hospital. The complex will also house light industrial and retail space.

They are looking at the property as a whole, not just the one portion. There will not be a hospital on the property; it will be a health clinic and doctors offices. Also mentioned was retail space and light industrial.

Where I am on LI, we have a major university hospital. Off campus, there is a nearby industrial park which houses many buildings for specialists and testing centers, as well as auto repair shops, gyms, delis, supply houses, etc. The Gear shaper project sounds very similar in a much, much smaller scale than over here.

[mustmove]

Springfield is not going to get the development success of Stony Brook. The mental power isn't there or anywhere near there. Improving Springfield is great, but the town is not at a place where it is honest to encourage in-migration. For everyone considering a move to Vermont don't believe the rosy predictions everyone in VT is always making predictions of the next big thing and it never happens- at least not in VT. However if the way it is now is sufficient then enjoy.

[ex-springfielder]

I wish them the best of luck with their project but I'm a sceptic. Several years ago the state lent a company from Florida money to move into the old Bryants building, we found he owed Florida all sorts of money and his business was a flop in Springfield too. Both the shopping plaza and the downtown area have problems keeping retail business and empty store fronts are more the rule than an exception so how will the new facitlity attract retail renters? Also as I've pointed out in past posts Springfield is a town has become a town whose purpose is to support out of control government services. A school system who has one of the lowest student to teacher ratios in the country, large fire, road and police departments. There is very little private business or industry to support this bloated infrastructure and that's why the residents of Springfield have one of the highest tax burdens in the nation.

[OhBeeHave]

Originally Posted by mustmove

Springfield is not going to get the development success of Stony Brook. The mental power isn't there or anywhere near there. Improving Springfield is great, but the town is not at a place where it is honest to encourage in-migration. For everyone considering a move to Vermont don't believe the rosy predictions everyone in VT is always making predictions of the next big thing and it never happens- at least not in VT. However if the way it is now is sufficient then enjoy.

Never claimed Springfield would become Stony Brook (technically the area I brought up is in Setauket, and many of the health care providers in the park are NOT UHSB centers...they are independent of it.) With close proximity to I-91, is it possible that the small, Springfield hospital might be able to attract satellite clincal providers from Dartmouth-Hitchcock?

It is awful to insult the 'mental power' of the people in the Springfield area. H. Paul Bremer is no slouch, nor was the late Alezander Sohleznetien.

Let me remind you that not too long ago, Stony Brook was a dying town. The ship building industry moved away, ship's captains no longer resided in the area, and the town became rundown after the Great Depression. One man with a vision, Ward Melville, rolled up his sleeve and recreated a colonial village shopping center, moved buildings and resurrected the town. He donated countless acres of land to both the school district and to the teacher's college (which at the time was much further west.) The college moved in, became part of the SUNY system, a hospital was built, and the area began to attract the best and brightest.

Someone has a vision for then project in Springfield. If it brings in businesses and creates jobs -- construction jobs at first, light manufacturing, retail and health industry jobs when completed -- this has the potential to be a positive for the community.

So many people who've posted here are naysayers who have left the area for myriad reasons. I don't blame them for leaving -- it is their personal decision and not my place to judge them. I don't want to come across as a cheerleader to their naysaying, I guess we are representing pros and cons.

People talk about how awful The Bronx is. My family was from there when it was a beautiful, urban place to live. They left when it became a crime-infested place falling into ruin. It is now on the verge of a comeback. If a place like The Bronx came make a comeback, so can Springfield.

[OhBeeHave]

Originally Posted by ex-springfielder

I wish them the best of luck with their project but I'm a sceptic. Several years ago the state lent a company from Florida money to move into the old Bryants building, we found he owed Florida all sorts of money and his business was a flop in Springfield too. Both the shopping plaza and the downtown area have problems keeping retail business and empty store fronts are more the rule than an exception so how will the new facitlity attract retail renters? Also as I've pointed out in past posts Springfield is a town has become a town whose purpose is to support out of control government services. A school system who has one of the lowest student to teacher ratios in the country, large fire, road and police departments. There is very little private business or industry to support this bloated infrastructure and that's why the residents of Springfield have one of the highest tax burdens in the nation.

It was my understanding that the Shopping Plaza is one of the reasons for the downtown area dying. People drive past the downtown businesses in favor of convenient one-stop shopping. (The shopping plaza has looked to have been at least 85-90% occupied the last few years, with 3 strong anchors -- Shaws, Rite Aid, and Peebles.) It is the same phenomena which has happened all over the US and is not unique to Springfield. Many downtowns have died as large shopping plazas and malls are built outside of town. I can tick off a number of places on LI which have succumbed to the same fate as Springfield -- Patchogue being most similar, right down to having an ancient, abandoned mill. (The mill has since been razed.)

In all fairness, you can't accuse a town of becoming a trough for government services. 'Town' is the people, and the people have to speak for or against such decisions. One thing I have always admired in VT is the Town Hall meeting. Are folks in Springfield that far removed from the day-to-day goings on that they would prefer to let someone else make critical decisions which would ultimately impact their wallets? (I respect your insight as a former resident.)

As far as taxes and tax burden -- Springfield has nothing on NY. My neighbors are paying over $15K/year for a center hall colonial on 1/2 acre. Our school taxes are easily 66% or more of our tax bill. My Chester tax bill is peanuts in comparison. However I do realize that there's a difference in salaries, commutes, job availability, etc., and that $4K might seem like a lot, depending on what a person earns.

That's why I would like to see the Springfield project become reality. if it brings in more jobs and contributes to the commercial tax base, it might help Springfield turn around.

One step at a time, right?

[mustmove]

E-state, Green-state, etc., Vermonters have been telling themselves that they are on the verge of the next big thing for forty years. Hasn't happened yet. Go find copies of Vermont Life from the 1970's tons of articles about how VT is on the cutting edge of this or that nothing ever happened. Nothing will. Again if people like it that is great enjoy. But no one should move to or stay in VT for a promise of future prosperity. The makings of prosperity don't exist in Vermont. Make your decisions on the here and now.

[OhBeeHave]

Originally Posted by mustmove

E-state, Green-state, etc., Vermonters have been telling themselves that they are on the verge of the next big thing for forty years. Hasn't happened yet. Go find copies of Vermont Life from the 1970's tons of articles about how VT is on the cutting edge of this or that nothing ever happened. Nothing will. Again if people like it that is great enjoy. But no one should move to or stay in VT for a promise of future prosperity. The makings of prosperity don't exist in Vermont. Make your decisions on the here and now.

What factors do you feel contribute most to the state of inertia within the state and the inability to move forward?

Is it state laws, tree huggers, disinterested or disheartened residents, or a combination of the 3?