by David Chapman
Staff Writer
Long an eyesore and considered the gateway from Downtown into Springfield, the Park View Inn at Main and State streets is slated for demolition and redevelopment.
Plans for the Park View Pavilion include redevelopment of the Park View Inn into a parking garage and retail hub that would complement the restoration of the former Claude Nolan Cadillac Building into a high-end, mixed-use development.
Residents were presented details of the plan Monday night during a community meeting, with the majority showing initial approval.
“We’re excited because it’s been such an eyesore for so long,” said Claude Moulton, Springfield Preservation and Revitalization Council president.
The Park View Inn has been vacant since 2003 and has since been plagued with environmental issues that have, in part, deterred prior projects, said Robert Van Winkel, owner of the Park View Inn property.
Since closing, it’s also been the target of vandals who have stripped the building of anything of value.
The first phase of the project would include the interior demolition of the Park View Inn, with the exception of the parking garage and structural elements.
After demolition, the remaining two-story garage would then be cleaned, repaired and painted. The second phase would include ramp construction that would allow second-floor access as well as installation of safety features.
According to developers, the result will be a 400-car capacity two-story parking deck with potential for an anchor retail tenant and a smaller business tenant.
Possibilities for an anchor tenant include grocery and pharmaceutical chains. Van Winkel said talks are under way. The retail portion would be around 20,000 square feet.
Total costs for the project will be around $2 million, he said, not including $300,000 received as part of the Community Development Block Grant fund from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
With the garage construction, developers believe the parking site will lead to more development in the immediate area, such as the former Claude Nolan Cadillac Building.
Developers are looking at the three-story building, now known as the EHT Building, as a possible mixed-use development that could feature a destination restaurant and bars on the ground floor with lofts on the second and third floors.
As for the Park View Inn demolition and conversion, Van Winkel said the smaller-scale nature of the project will better allow for its completion compared to grander projects in the past that would need outside funding from banks.
“In this economy, banks just aren’t lending,” said Van Winkel.
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