People in all four corners of Springfield will get a glimpse into the future at a series of workshops for the Forward SGF 20-year comprehensive plan.
The city of Springfield will host one Forward SGF workshop in each of the four city council zones. Each event will include the same information on Springfield's plan for growth and development.
“Forward SGF is Springfield’s comprehensive planning process which will provide a blueprint for the future,” Springfield Director of Planning and Development Susan Istenes said. “The plan takes into account many planning considerations, including demographic and national trends, the changing times, and the fact that Springfield is in a redevelopment mode with little green field development space available. Particular attention is paid to strategic planning for corridors, neighborhoods and activity centers.”
Forward SGF zone workshops
Zone 2
Tuesday, Aug. 16, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Ozarks Technical Community College
Lincoln Hall Room 208
815 N. Sherman Ave.
Zone 3
Tuesday, Aug. 23, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
The Library Center
Main Auditorium
4653 S. Campbell
Zone 4
Thursday, Aug. 25, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Missouri Career Center
Dogwood Room
2900 E. Sunshine
Zone 1
Thursday, Sept. 1, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
The Library Station
Frisco Room
2535 N. Kansas Expressway
The final draft of Forward SGF will be used to communicate Springfield’s vision for itself, to inform developers looking at Springfield about what sort of economic environment they will be getting into, to set the framework for development regulations, to coordinate initiatives on housing and recreation, to point out opportunities for investment and to help the Springfield City Council and other government groups set their budgets each year.
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Chicago-based consulting firm Houseal Lavigne Associates researched Springfield and wrote most of the comprehensive plan. The City Council and other stakeholders got their first look at the plan in June, and then hosted a citywide unveiling of the plan's elements July 21. In the research phase, the consultants recorded more than 10,000 interactions with Springfield residents, about 2,400 of which were done in person, and 7,600 pieces of input came from online surveys and forums. Project manager Brandon Nolin said it was one of the most publicly-engaged projects Houseal Lavigne has done.
The public health concerns of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in 2020, caused some drag on the planning process and the overall timeline for the Forward SGF project.
The comprehensive plan has 13 chapters, with chapters dedicated to land use, community outreach organizations, economic development, plans for certain key areas of the city, a transportation and transit plan, a downtown plan, a public facilities plan and plans for parks, greenways and natural resources.
There are specific plans to revitalize parts of Commercial Street, Trafficway, West Chestnut Expressway, North Glenstone Avenue and the downtown area surrounding Park Central Square.
Forward SGF documents will include a massive appendix, and “action matrix” made up of 687 line items of recommendations that Springfield can implement to achieve the goals found within Forward SGF.
“It’s a long table that identifies local priority and ease of implementation,” Nolin said. “This plan is meant to be engaging and the narrative is meant to really help tell a story. Some people really appreciate a checklist. This is the checklist.”
The Springfield City Council scheduled to adopt the plan formally by ordinance Oct. 3.
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