When I got to Springfield's newly restored Union Station, the old Peter Pan bus station across the street was in the process of being torn down. It won't be missed.
That end of Main Street is still pretty much as run down as it ever was, as illustrated by the litter strewn entrance to the long shuttered Paramount Theater.
An image of the late area TV personality Bill Putnam greets sidewalk passersby.
Meanwhile, long time downtown stalwarts like The Fort (below) and Jake's Diner continue to thrive, just as they somehow managed to do during the years of Springfield's long decline.
As I continued my Main Street tour, I decided to stop in at Tower Square, forever known to some of us of a certain age as Baystate West. They had a beautiful giant Christmas tree in the main lobby.
The Food Court still does a good lunch business. The High School of Commerce Band was playing for the diners and I captured the scene on video, including a cameo appearance by my finger.
The Valley Photo Center, which abuts the Food Court, had a display of local portraits such as this one of Ruth Loving.
This portrait appears to be of some Easthampton cops and perhaps a dispatcher?
After years of neglectful stewardship under MassMutual, Tower Square now has new owners who have ambitious plans that include the possibility of developing a hotel in the little used Steiger's Park across the street.
Continuing down Main Street, I saw some new restaurants have opened in the block just before the casino. That is a very good development, and proof that the casino has resulted in the kind of additional economic activity that was hoped for, although admittedly still on a modest scale.
Arriving at the casino itself, I saw that they too have a Christmas tree, bigger than the one at Tower Square but not as well decorated.
The old Armory has been turned into a high-end Christmas store.
I had lunch at the Lobster Shack. Their clam chowder is excellent and reasonably priced. Next time I'll have to try their lobster bisque.
Overall, I was pleased by what I saw on my visit. There was a pretty good crowd, although mostly older folks, which perhaps is to be expected given the time of day. Nighttime is when casinos really come to life. The buildings across from the casino are still mostly vacant, but they've had a paint job and look better than they have in years. There are rumblings of possible tenants, although nothing definite.
Fears by some critics that the casino would create undesirable social problems around the area appear to have been unfounded. Fate has given me the street smarts to spot things others might miss, and I saw no sign of the prostitution problem that was once rampant in the old South End. The parking lot of the Dunkin Donuts was a notorious pick up stop for customers of gay hustlers, and female sex workers, many looking strung out, would openly approach you on Main Street in broad daylight asking if you wanted a date. That scene appears to have changed dramatically for the better.
The atmosphere downtown that the casino has created is a comfortable one, with the help of a strong, but unobtrusive security presence. I definitely felt completely safe wandering around downtown, which wasn't always true pre-casino. The revival is still mostly confined to the area immediately surrounding the casino, but it is early yet and the development trends are going in all the right directions. After the first hundred days, I would have to say that the effect of the casino so far has been a positive one for Springfield.
1 comment:
Well...I guess I should check my pessimism about the casino. I hope that it brings new activity to downtown, which sorely needs it. I happened to be in the former Baystate West about five years ago (I used the parking garage when I was on my way to the Mattoon Street Art Festival.) It was depressing to see how empty that place was.
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