Congrats! I'm not a Springfield resident but what's your initial thoughts on what the property could become?
Hey man,
So, a little back story here. I used to be on this forum religiously for the better part of a decade (“Ben says” was my user name). I dropped off for awhile when I moved abroad. Came back a few years ago and got into the family business - fourth generation real estate firm. Our business started with my great grandmother, who was essentially a slumlord in Springfield. So..buying this property is a bit of a homecoming for us, as we have deep roots to the Springfield community.
As for the building itself, our goal is:
1. Stabilize the structure, as we want to save the entire thing.
2. Reroof
3. Environmental cleanup
(Not in that order.)
What we are looking to do - and what’s feasible and realistic - ie, commercially viable: divide the place up for local businesses…leasing spaces from 1,000 sf upward - the sky’s the limit (we’re just shy of 50k sf usable space). We are open to an anything from retail/storefront to manufacturing and light industrial. So far we’ve had interest from coffee roasters and shops, glass work studios, metal fabrication, etc. Basically: commercial mixed-use.
What we are looking to do long term, but what isn’t commercially viable immediately: think Armature Works in Tampa. Community hub, event space, market, etc.
We are open to suggestions!
By the way, if anyone from this site wants to come take some pictures/do a write-up, please reach out to me at
ben@avreal.com. There are some great archival photos out there, and there’s some fascinating history at this address! You wouldn’t believe the stuff we’ve found (and learned) since taking this spot.
