Neighborhood Works+ program Zone Workshops scheduled in March and April

   

The City of Springfield will host a series of neighborhood workshops per City Council Zone in March and April with the goal of discussing potential Neighborhood Works+ projects with neighborhood residents and gathering feedback. 

Neighborhood Works+ is an expanded version of the City of Springfield’s longstanding Neighborhood Works program, thanks to a $5 million Spring Forward SGF sales tax allocation to deliver visible, high-impact, community-driven neighborhood improvements. The funding was recommended by the Citizens’ Advisory Board (CAB), appointed to review potential projects to fund with the ½-cent voter approved sales tax. City Council subsequently approved it.

More than 560 total project ideas were received by the City during a six-week idea gathering phase beginning in mid-December. Public Works project managers then completed initial feasibility assessments and grouped individual ideas into about 160 project concepts. 

Neighborhood residents from the City’s 24 registered neighborhoods are invited to learn more about the proposed concepts and provide feedback during four open house workshops according to City Council zone: 

ZONE 2: 4:30 – 6:30, Tuesday, March 24 – 
Schweitzer Church Student Center (2701 E. Sunshine Street)
Delaware, Doling, Oak Grove, Robberson, Rountree, and Weller neighborhoods

ZONE 1: 4:30 – 6:30, Tuesday, March 31 –
Cox Health Fountain Room (1423 N. Jefferson Ave.) 
Bissett, Grant Beach, Heart of the Westside, Midtown, Tom Watkins, Westside, and Woodland Heights neighborhoods

ZONE 3: 4:30 – 6:30, Thursday, April 2 – 
Chesterfield Family Center (2511 W. Republic Rd.)
Fassnight, Greater Parkcrest, Mark Twain, Phelps Grove, and West Central neighborhoods

ZONE 4: 4:30 – 6:30, Thursday, April 9 – LOCATION TO BE DETERMINED 
Bradford Park, Brentwood, Galloway Village, Meador Park, Seminole-Holland, and University Heights neighborhoods 

Next Steps 

City staff began working alongside a subcommittee of the Neighborhood Advisory Council (NAC) in January to determine scoring criteria for Neighborhood Works+ projects based on readiness, feasibility and community value. The subcommittee is comprised of two neighborhood representatives from each City Council zone, including Pete Radecki, Peggy Wise, Nancy Williams, Brent Rinker, William Cooper, Dee Ogilvy, Duane Keys, and Michael Brittian. The subcommittee will reconvene following the Zone workshops to review feedback from Zone Workshops and begin scoring projects.  

Final project ideas are expected to be presented to the CAB for recommendation for City Council approval this summer. The first round of neighborhood projects is targeted to be under construction in fall of 2026.