What kind of Springfield do YOU want to live in?

OK, so the following is a press release, and as cynical as I feel sometimes, I do believe it's absolutely urgent to participate in this process to Rebuild Springfield.  if our voices are not heard, at least we know we did not remain silent, and we can go from there.  Sign up for the online discussion, and go to the meetings! 

Springfield Residents Urged to Show up and Be Heard at Neighborhood and Citywide MeetingsRebuild Springfield Planning Meetings begin week of October 11
Springfield, Mass., October 6, 2011—Rebuild  Springfield, an initiative of DevelopSpringfield and the Springfield  Redevelopment Authority, kicks into high gear with the first series of  three neighborhood meetings during the week of October 10th, followed by  a citywide meeting on Saturday morning, October 15th. Residents and  stakeholders are asked to help create a vision for Springfield that will  ultimately help form the master plan for both the tornado-impacted and  related areas of the City of Springfield.

According to Bobbie  Hill of Concordia, the firm retained to lead the master planning effort,  “These meetings are critical to the planning process. We need to hear,  firsthand, from a diverse array of residents from the impacted  neighborhoods as well as the City at large. A successful plan is one  that meets the needs and hopes of the city’s residents and  stakeholders.”

Concordia is a 28-year old firm at the forefront  of research and best practices related to planning for disaster  recovery. They have applied their model to facilitate the collaborative  design of neighborhoods and buildings for cities, most recently  post-Katrina New Orleans.

The first round of neighborhood meetings will be held next week:

Sixteen Acres, East Forest Park
Tuesday, October 11, 2011, 6:30pm-9:00pm
Holy Cross Gymnasium, 221 Plumtree Road

Six Corners, Upper Hill, Old Hill, Forest Park
Wednesday, October 12, 2011, 6:30pm-9:00pm
J.C. Williams Center, 116 Florence Street

Metro Center (Downtown) & South End
Thursday, October 13, 2011, 6:30pm-9:00pm
Gentile Apartments Community Room, 85 William Street

The  week will end with a city-wide meeting—all residents and stakeholders  are encouraged to attend—on Saturday, October 15 from 8:30am-11:30am at  the MassMutual Center. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss issues  and opportunities that affect the city as a whole.

Residents are also encouraged to learn about Rebuild Springfield and to submit their ideas at the online conversation at http://www.rebuildspringfield.com. For information, residents can call 413-209-8808.

There  are two more rounds of meetings planned in November and December  respectively, the dates and times are to be announced. The final meeting  in January will be the presentation of the master plan for Springfield,  incorporating the ideas and needs of the residents and stakeholders.

Nick  Fyntrilakis, Chairman of DevelopSpringfield stressed the importance of  community engagement. “Working together, we have an opportunity to  create a vision for a stronger Springfield that builds upon our rich  history while focusing on our future.”