Historic eligibility changes up square renovations

The city of Springfield on Friday said it has been notified of the square’s historic eligibility. The determination was made after the city applied to the Federal Highway Administration and the State Historic Preservation Office to review the square’s proposed renovation – a review that is required when federal funds are used for projects of that kind, according to a city news release.

The city is using a $1 million grant from the highway administration to renovate the square as stipulated in a contract with St. Louis firm Blue Urban, which last August agreed to develop the Heer’s building on the grounds that the city would update the square at the same time.

Although the square has not been designated an historic site, its eligibility means the city must work with the Federal Highway Administration and State Historic Preservation Office to make sure the square’s historic areas are not negatively affected during the renovation. The mitigation process could include documenting the current design or preserving historic elements, and the highway administration has the final decision on those measures.

Because of the mitigation, the city says it expects it will not meet the Aug. 1 deadline to begin renovations set by its contract with Blue Urban, the release said.

As a possible solution, the city is considering skipping the project’s first phase – which focuses on the inner part of the square – and moving forward with Phase II, which mostly involves the square’s outer perimeter. Outer-square renovations include areas for outdoor dining, an outdoor reading area for the Park Central Library and other elements for property owners and businesses along the square.

If there is consensus among stakeholders and Springfield City Council to move ahead with Phase II, the city and project designer Butler, Rosenbury & Partners will be aggressive in finalizing design and construction documents in order to meet the deadline to begin work, the release said. After that issue is taken care of, the city would address the issues with the inner square.