Saturday, June 12th
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Court Square in Downtown Springfield
FREE to the Public
Sponsored by the McKnight Neighborhood Youth Council

Join your friends and neighbors in Court Square for the City of Homes Violence-Free Summer Kickoff 2010! Hear the inspirational stories of three men who turned their lives around: Hericberto Gonzalez, Yusef Id-Deen, and Hamza Ali. There will be live performances by Teatro V!da Youth Performance Ensemble, Maurice "Soul Fighter" Taylor, and Magdalena Gomez. Featuring food, a live DJ, and music. Bring your kids, neighbors and friends! Learn about the many agencies working for positive change in Springfield this summer and how YOU can get involved! For information please visit www.mcknightcouncil.org or email mcknightyouthcouncil@hotmail.com. 

 

Many businesses reach a point in which they are faced with deciding if buying a building would benefit them more than leasing space. There are several factors that need to be considered when evaluating your needs.

- When you buy a building, you have a good idea of what your costs will be over the long term. If you lease space, the market will dictate what you will end up paying for rent in the long run.

- If you company or practice is mature, buying space is a great way to meet your future needs.

- When considering tax factors, it is always sound advice to consult with your attorney and tax professional about legal and financial considerations to owning a building. The good news is if you buy, you get to take depreciation on the improvement portion of the property and can usually deduct all of your interest payments.

- Many of the lease vs. buy factors can be decided by you, but having the helping hand of a commercial real estate professional is important. There is help, feel free to call our office and get advice from our brokers who are experienced in this process from the beginning to the end.

 

Drawing from the Past Art Exhibit featuring an exhibition of work by the University of Massachusetts Amhrest Honors Students, opening reception beginning May 1, 2010 from 5 to 7PM at 1350 Main Street in Springfield Massachusetts. The exhibit is is supported by Commonweath Honors College, Fine Arts Center, UMASS Department of Art History, Hampden Gallery and NAI Plotkin/One Financial Trust Group.

A new year, a new executive director and a new plan of revitalization are all under way for Springfield’s downtown. The Springfield Business Improvement District, the organization charged with the revitalization of our downtown core, are looking forward to a year full of successes, new programming, new businesses and new ideas and initiatives.

Click below to read the full Masslive article >
http://www.masslive.com/business/index.ssf/2010/02/springfield_business_improvement_district_dedicated_to_downtown_revitalization.html

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno admits that it’s tough for a city to mount a major comeback effort in the middle of a recession. But that doesn’t mean he’s lowering his expectations for a community that has rebounded from the depths of control-board management but still has considerable work to do in areas ranging from public safety to education; economic development to marketing. As he begins his second term, Sarno says his biggest challenge is perception, or, to be more specific, how to change the perception most have of this community.

Click here to read Business West's full article >
http://www.businesswest.com/details.asp?id=2328

“There is no doubt that it is good news,” said Andre Mayer, the senior vice president for communications and research at Associated Industries. “It is perhaps not absolute good news. It’s not a good economy to be doing business in for most companies. We are still some distance away from getting back to real growth.”

Mayer said that under the current rate of improvement, the index won’t hit that 50-point neutral mark until the middle of 2010.

“We are ending the year on a better tone. I think that we are all pleased by that and relived by that,” said Frederick S. Breimyer, an economist and board member of the New England Economic Partnership. “That’s not to say we are where we want to be. But progress is progress.”

Click here to read Masslive article > http://news.westernmassedc.com/articles/95095/

Posted 1/6/10

Solid housing markets, relatively stable employment, enviable cost of living and quick commutes make these metros among the country's most affordable to live.

Our very own Springfield Massachusetts made #38 on the list. The City of Springfield is quickly attracting new investment. With a strong program of business support, a large pool of talented workers, and location advantages, many businesses are choosing to locate and expand in Springfield.

Click here to see the Forbes list >
http://www.forbes.com/2009/11/30/cities-affordable-cheap-lifestyle-real-estate-housing-foreclosures_chart.html?partner=yahoore

Posted 12/4/09

Click on the above image to see availablity...

Posted 11/17/09

"To get the momentum to develop downtown, it’s very exciting. I think it will create some attention from the national players as well to say 'okay, you have got a world class university like UMass, making sure that they have a major presence in Springfield.' It’s going to get them to take another look at the city," Judge said.

More than 240 developers and real-estate professionals took a bus tour of potential development sites around the city Friday as part of the city's second Developers Conference.

There were 11 sites on the tour in total, including the School Department Building, Zanetti School, and the State Street corridor which includes the Indian Motocycle building and a former fire station. They also visited Court Square at 13-31 Elm St., where plans for a boutique hotel were scrapped this week. But the University of Massachusetts did announce plans Thursday for an urban design center at the adjacent 3-7 Elm St. and an interest in being involved in any development of 13-31 Elm St.

Read the full article here >
http://www.masslive.com/springfield/republican/index.ssf?/base/news-25/1256973403134900.xml&coll=1

Posted 11/2/09