Revitalizing Downtown: Turning an Abandoned Building into the New Downtown Springfield CID Office.

The Downtown Springfield Community Improvement District (Downtown CID) is a non-profit corporation established to support Downtown Springfield through the maintenance of public spaces, supporting new business and investments, and contracting other services to maintain a clean, safe environment. In their search for a new base of operations, the Downtown CID purchased a vacant building at the edge of the Downtown.

The site was selected due to its proximity to the center city as well as its prominent location in Springfield at the intersection of Chestnut Expressway and Boonville. Boonville exits the city square to the north and intersects a major thoroughfare in Springfield, Chestnut Expressway. Given the building’s location, the Downtown CID wanted the building to serve as a marker at a primary entrance to downtown.

The stark, monolithic exterior lent itself to the application of super-graphics that identify downtown, provide wayfinding for visitors to the city, and branding for the Downtown CID by using their existing graphics. The simple, economical design strategy has also increased the Downtown CID’s prominence in the community.

A future vehicle garage was contemplated during design and was conceived as a solid removed from the existing building where there is currently a void. Originally built in the 1950s as the local dealership for Harley-Davidson, the building was constructed of a cast-in-place concrete frame with stucco-clad concrete masonry unit walls. The Downtown CID wanted the adaptive reuse of the building to maintain the integrity of both the exterior and the structural frame. The approach limited waste heading to the landfill and allowed for open floor plates that required minimal interior construction. The interior has a small Downtown CID office and a larger shop that houses the equipment and materials necessary for the maintenance of downtown. Additional lease space is available for other community organizations.

Project Team:

• Architects: BRP Architects

• Structural Engineers: J&M Engineering

• MEP Engineers: CJD, LLC