Applicants and residents press board to protect Memorial Building as lease applications are reviewed

At the Springfield Economic Development Agency meeting, a downtown architect urged the board to treat the Memorial Building as a war memorial while an applicant for the 236–240 Main Street lease described plans to open an art-and-frame shop.

Jenna Fribley, a downtown architect with Campfire Collaborative, told the board the property should be treated as a memorial rather than “a building.” “This was built as a war memorial post World War II,” Fribley said. “It’s a memorial in the form of a building.” She urged the board to be “very intentional” about how the site is handled and asked the board to consider how any replacement would preserve the site’s commemorative purpose.

During a segment the board had set aside to hear lease applicants, Christina Rust, who identified herself as an applicant for the 236–240 Main Street property, said she would open an art-and-frame shop and work with local arts organizations such as the Emerald Art Center. “We have thought about how we would update the building,” Rust said, answering board questions. She described design ideas including replacing some garage doors with glass and said she has worked in framing since 1995 and has owned a store since 1999.

Rust also described personal ties to Springfield: she and her husband, Eric, graduated from Springfield High, their daughter is due to graduate on June 6, and family members still live in the city. She said those ties informed her interest in locating her business downtown.

Board members agreed to hear applicants and limited comments and responses to five minutes. No lease award or final board decision on the 236–240 Main Street property was recorded at the meeting. The board did not specify next steps or a timeline for selecting a lessee during the meeting.