Springfield City Council has made three appointments to a committee that will work with county representatives on a planned park promenade in downtown Springfield.

Council members Kenny Usher and Jeff Ambrose, along with a Springfield resident, will meet with the county’s designees to go over the plans now being developed.

Hussey, Gay, Bell and DeYoung engineer Steve Wohlfeil has put together a concept master plan for the area, which stretches from the historic courthouse to Madison Street and is bracketed by Oak and Pine streets.

Wohlfeil has looked at ways to get more side street and offstreet parking and to get circulation around the five blocks instead of through those blocks. Wohlfeil has recommended closing Crawford Street, making Jefferson Street flexible to closure and discouraging traffic on streets west of the promenade.

“Parking is haphazard,” Wohlfeil said. “Parking is at a premium. The parking spaces we end up with would be of higher quality because of their usefulness to the public.”

Under a concept master plan, parking spaces on the Madison Street side would be defined, as would spaces on the Franklin Street side of Ulmer Park and around the Department of Family and Children Services building. Franklin Street between Pine and Oak would be cut off to through traffic and removable bollards would be placed on Jefferson Street between Pine and Oak, allowing or diverting traffic as needed.

“With the increased use at the judicial complex and with traffic at the old courthouse, it’s imperative we maximize parking space,” county project manager Adam Kobek said.

Ulmer Park does not host games but is used frequently by teams as a practice field. The park is expected to have a part in the plan for more greenspace.

The county also wants to do more to highlight Memorial Park.

“They are beautiful monuments, and we think they should be showcased,” Kobek said.

Usher said there is some sensitivity about Ulmer Park and prevailed upon county commissioners to retain the name of the park.

“They want to see Ulmer Park utilized for all ages,” he said of his constituents.

City and county representatives agreed to research the ownership of the park and explore any possible restrictions placed on its use.
Commissioners and county staff have discussed what to do with the Treutlen Building. Part of the plan also involves more greenspace around the courthouse. There also is the idea of putting in a stage or pavilion at the eastern end of the promenade, at the corner of Crawford and Pine streets.

“This definitely ties into the efforts to revitalize Springfield,” Commissioner Bob Brantley said.

“It’s one more step to take the city to the next level,” Usher said.