The state of Illinois has agreed to give $500,000 to the city of Springfield to make improvements to the Y block.
The empty lot just north of the Illinois Governor's Mansion was once the site of the YWCA building, which was razed in 2017. Over the years, various ideas ranging from a law school campus to an apartment complex and private businesses have been proposed for the site.
But so far, the primary use for the vacant lot has been as the home of the Levitt AMP Springfield Music Series. The grant will address making the concerts more accessible for concert-goers of all abilities.
Landscape architect Kent Massie, who co-owns MassieMassie + Associates with his wife, Sue, said it hasn't been easy for those in wheelchairs to get to the middle of the block. But with the creation of sidewalks and other landscaping, that may soon change.
"Basically, this is the first phase, and it's concentrated on the south end of the block, where the Levitt AMP concerts are currently," he said. "Quite a bit of the work will be sidewalks and there would be some site grading. I think there is either a temporary toilet facility or porta-potties. ... There will be an oval-shaped sidewalk, and radiating off of it will be a couple of the sidewalks."
Massie said this work will not preclude the rest of the site from being developed in other ways.
"We have to reshape the site, and it would primarily be just the area on top of the storm water system that's underneath," he said, referring to the section of the block that is considered off-limits for new construction. "And we will put some trees in, so it looks more like a park. But we are not getting into major plazas or buildings."
Ward 2 Ald. Shawn Gregory, whose ward includes the Y block, said he would like to see an amphitheater eventually built on the site. He noted the grant from the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity requires matching funds be invested by the city.
Gregory said he anticipates soon pushing for the city council to approve allocating the matching dollars.
"I want this to happen as soon as possible, but I think it will likely happen sometime after the new administration starts," he said. Misty Buscher is scheduled to be sworn in as mayor May 5.
Mayor Jim Langfelder did not respond to interview requests. But it has been reported that construction will not likely begin until late summer, after the concert series is complete.
Massie said the first phase is focused on the south side of the open space.
"The grant is pretty much just for the first step in the overall plan," he said. "But it's not precluding something up next to Capitol Avenue. It's mostly concentrated in the southern one-third of the site."
The funds for the Y block improvements were awarded through the second round of the Tourism Attractions and Festivals Grant Program. Springfield received $1.4 million out of a total of $22.5 million awarded to localities, organizations and businesses statewide. Other grant recipients were Springfield Park District, which received $370,000 to replace Washington Park's Botanical Garden Conservatory Dome; Route History Inc, which was awarded $500,000 to construct the Imagine Route 66 History building; and the Hoogland Center for the Arts, which received $65,000 for a new electronic marquee.
Restoring the Conservatory Dome
The 52-year-old dome on the Washington Park Botanical Garden Conservatory will soon be replaced using money from a state grant and a donation from the William Ed Quarry Trust.
"It was constructed in 1971, and it is where we house more than 150 species of native and exotic plants," Alexa Bryan Potts, general manager of the garden, said. "It's a 50-foot diameter dome that we call 'the conservatory.' In essence, we're revamping, but keeping its footprint. Its shape is iconic for our garden. It's our logo."
It hosts roughly 60,000 patrons annually, including those attending various celebrations such as weddings, receptions, bridal and baby showers, anniversaries, proposals and birthday parties.
The Conservatory Dome replacement project will include: Demolition of the current acrylic conservatory dome and construction of a new one that is the same size and shape within the same location; replacement of entryway windows; and replacement of all heating and cooling systems.
The total cost of the project is $750,000. The Springfield Park District received a $370,000 grant from the Tourism Attractions and Festivals Grant Program of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
The remainder, $380,000, is coming from the William Ed Quarry Trust. Quarry, who died in 1999, was an expert on orchids, said David Robson, a retired horticulture specialist with the University of Illinois Extension Service.
"Ed was a registered nurse. And at one time in the 1980s or early 1990s, he was head of nursing at Memorial Medical Center," Robson recalled. "He was always happy to give programs for the garden clubs."
Robson added Quarry was passionate about growing orchids.
"He would tell people who thought they had a black thumb, 'I can help make it green,'" Robson said.
Potts said she hopes the improvements will lead to additional foot traffic at the botanical garden.
"We hope to bring more attraction options to visitors of Springfield in general. When they come and visit the Lincoln sites, we hope to have them inquire about what other options are in the community. We have already been working with the Convention and Visitors Bureau to get more tourism here," Potts said. – Scott Reeder
Scott Reeder, a staff writer for Illinois Times, can be reached at [email protected].
