Nine registered neighborhoods in Springfield will soon be seeing new sidewalks and park improvements thanks to a competitive grant made possible through the voter-approved 1/4-cent Capital Improvement Sales Tax.

Neighborhood Works is intended to fund small-scale capital improvements within officially registered neighborhoods, giving residents the opportunity to identify projects they believe will offer the greatest benefit to their area. Proposals are limited to $100,000 or less and must take place on city-owned property or right-of-way.

The program is funded by a $500,000 annual allocation for neighborhood initiatives from the voter-approved ¼-cent Capital Improvements Sales Tax. The 1/4-cent Capital Improvement Sales Tax sunsets every three years and will be up for renewal in 2019.

Due to time constraints, the 2018-2019 cycles were combined into one to allow for all projects to be under construction before the tax sunsets in Spring of 2019. Neighborhoods competed for a total of $800,000 in combined funding, with $200,000 set aside as a contingency. Also due to the combined cycle, Neighborhoods were eligible to be awarded multiple project proposals.

This cycle, neighborhood interest focused more on sidewalk needs, with approximately 4650 feet of new sidewalks approved to be funded.

“Public Works has limited funding for sidewalk construction, so we have to prioritize needs throughout the city,” says Dawne Gardner, City transportation planner and neighborhood Works program administrator. “Neighborhood Works grants allow neighborhoods to directly identify their priority needs and make it happen in their area.”

Submitted project applications were assessed by City staff for feasibility and cost, then passed to a special committee formed by the Neighborhood Advisory Council for scoring and award recommendations. Interim City Manager, Collin Quigley, approved the committee’s final recommendations in late July.

The following projects were approved for funding in the combined 2018-2019 cycle:

Westside Neighborhood

Zagonyi Park Improvements: $97,500

Improvements include new playground equipment, new drinking fountains, shade structures, a community garden area and relocation of a historic marker memorializing Zagonyi’s Charge, a cavalry attack that took place nearby during the Civil War.

Delaware Neighborhood

Sidewalk Proposal 1: $97,795

Construction of new sidewalks along the following roadway segments:

• Portland Street from Kentwood Avenue to Glenstone Avenue
• Fairway Avenue from Portland Street to Sunshine Street
• Kentwood Avenue from Portland Street to Sunshine Street
• Bennett Street and Delaware Avenue crosswalk/ramp/sidewalk improvements.

 Sidewalk Proposal 2:  $12,801

• Bennett Street from Kentwood Avenue to Glenstone Avenue
• Meadowmere Street from Kentwood Avenue to Glenstone Avenue. 

Bissett Neighborhood

L.A. Wise Park Improvements:  $63,778

Improvements include addition of outdoor cooking grills, park benches, soccer field improvements, a multipurpose court and a sidewalk connection to Bissett Elementary School.

Midtown Neighborhood

Washington Park Gazebo Landing Pad:  $1,500

Extension of a concrete pad adjacent to the gazebo in Washington Park.

West Central Neighborhood

Property acquisition: $68,000

Purchase of property adjacent to the east side of the Route 66 Roadside Park to be utilized as greenspace for the park.

McGregor School-Park Improvements: $19,000

Installation additional lighting to the park.

Grant Beach Neighborhood

Grant Beach Park Proposal:  $89,513

Improvements are coming to the ballfield and soccer field, plus new scoreboard, new dugouts, new bleachers and shade cover, additional BBQ grills and picnic tables

Alley improvements: $25,000

Grading, filling potholes and replacing gravel in various alleys throughout the neighborhood.

Phelps Grove Neighborhood

Phelps Grove Park Parking Initiative Phase II:  $25,585

Improvements include a median and tree planting on Virginia Avenue and parallel parking improvements along Clay Avenue.

Doling Neighborhood

Sidewalks: $100,000

• Construction of new sidewalks along the following roadway segments:
• Douglas Avenue from Jean Street to Kearney Street
• Missouri Avenue from Woodlawn Street to Jean Street
• Woodlawn Street from Broadway Avenue to Missouri Avenue

Greater Parkcrest Neighborhood

Sanford Park Priority 1: $100,000

Improvements include a parking lot, sidewalk connection to Battlefield Road.

Sanford Park Priority 2: $99,000

Improvements include a park pavilion and picnic tables and possible sidewalk connection to Danbury Avenue.