The new South End Community Center opened in Springfield in the Fall of 2017, six years after the 2011 Tornado destroyed previous downtown Community Center. The Tornado was devastating not just for the Community Center but also for the neighborhood, wiping out several buildings. Recognizing the value the South End Community Center brings to the community, Springfield pursued funding and support to build a new Community Center. The City received more than $40 million in disaster aid for community wide rebuilding efforts, of which $9.5 million was dedicated to rebuilding the South End Community Center. The new 28,000 sq. ft. Community Center includes a gymnasium with basketball courts, exercise room, classrooms, meeting space, and offices. The site includes a full basketball court, parking for 98 cars, drop off drive, with a fully accessible entrance. The site for the new Community Center was chosen next to Emerson Wright Park, providing ease of access to the park’s playgrounds and fields. The facility serves as a safe-haven and second home to many members of the community. Together, the center and the park truly enhance the community spirit of the South End neighborhood. Disaster aid was also used to demolish dilapidated apartments and move the families to new housing as part of the renovation of this neighborhood. The design team worked with the City of Springfield to bring the project from early planning stages into construction. The Berkshire Design Group provided site design, land survey, design development, construction documentation, bid services, and construction observation for the new community center project. Overall, this project has been a huge success and has had an enormous impact on the neighborhood and the City.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Mark Lindhult