Redevelopment of Stearns Square and Duryea Way

GZA provided landscape architectural and civil engineering services to the City of Springfield for the redevelopment of Stearns Square and Duryea Way as part of a downtown rehabilitation effort. GZA provided conceptual master planning/design, coordinated multi‐ City Department reviews (DPW, Planning, Parks, Traffic Commission), estimated cost, prepared construction documents, and provided construction phase services.

Challenge

Built in the 1880s, Stearns Square Park is one of the first public sculptural parks of its kind. Designed and realized by famous sculptor and architect duo, Augustus Saint-Gaudens and Stanford White, Stearns Square is situated across Worthington Street from another historically significant public space, Duryea Way, named after the Duryea brothers who were the first Americans to build a gasoline-powered automobile. It was the City of Springfield’s hope that improvement in this area will serve as a catalyst for future investment and community engagement in the Innovation District and downtown entertainment area.

Solution

The City hired GZA to prepare a “Preliminary Master Plan of Stearns Square Park & Duryea Way”. The Master Plan received input from several City Departments and stakeholders, municipal departments, community members, and business owners in a series of design review meetings. While several site improvements and upgrades were selected during the design meetings, the overriding redevelopment themes were chosen to pay tribute to the deep historical roots of the neighborhood. GZA’s design features elements that honor historical roots while making space for modern use.

Benefit

The $1.7-million construction project involved reconstruction of a historic fountain originally designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, creation of pedestrian spaces and outdoor dining areas Duryea Way and sidewalk bump-outs along Worthington Street and Stearns Square West, improved pedestrian connections, installation of new lighting and landscaping improvements, traffic calming measures, way-finding signage, bike share terminal, and utility upgrades. The project was completed in the Spring of 2019 and today features outdoor farmers markets, dining, and jazz and classical music performances in the park.