The Springfield City Council unanimously approved a zoning change April 15 that would allow for construction of a housing complex to serve residents with physical and/or mental disabilities.
The new facility, slated to be built at 849 N. Ninth St. on the eastern edge of the Enos Park neighborhood, would be an expansion of ongoing services provided by Hope Springs Apartments, 1135 N. Ninth St., which has been operating successfully since 2013. Hope Springs II would be developed by North Arrow Partners, an architecture firm based in Villa Park, and administered by Chicago-based care organization Envision Unlimited, which also oversees services for the original Hope Springs.
During a meeting of the Mid-Illinois Medical District commission on April 10, Ashelyn Daniels of North Arrow Partners outlined plans for Hope Springs II, describing it as a 24-unit studio apartment building on about 36,000 square feet of space. It would contain on-site community and service spaces, laundry facilities and a management office. The facility would also provide ADA-accessible parking as well as bicycle stands. Daniels added that the structure would be built to National Green Building Standard Gold specs. It would be a net-zero carbon building, equipped with minimal heat gain windows, Energy Star appliances throughout, and other related features.
The developer is seeking zoning variances that would reduce the number of parking spaces required and allow for higher density, given the complex’s planned use as supportive housing. The Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously voted to approve the variances at the March 19 meeting but the City Council makes the final determination.
After encountering problems obtaining the vacant KFC building located next door to the original Hope Springs, the site further south on Ninth Street was chosen for several reasons, including nearness to downtown amenities and close access to the Springfield Mass Transit District bus corridor along Ninth Street, Daniels said.
“And we think it'd be a great location for the tenants,” Daniels added. “There's a lot of demand in the area and a universal need for more supportive housing.”
A slideshow presentation provided by North Arrow Partners made the case for the facility this way: “The growing demand for mental health services, coupled with the increased prevalence of mental health challenges, underscores the urgent need for more housing specifically tailored to this vulnerable population. Expanding housing options that integrate mental health care will not only improve the quality of life for individuals but also reduce the societal and economic costs associated with untreated mental illness and homelessness."
Josh Sabo is executive director of Heartland Housed, a central Illinois-based nonprofit agency with the goal of working toward “fundamentally ending homelessness,” according to its website. “One of the biggest points of emphasis for us over the last couple of years is that we have a significant shortage of affordable housing opportunities for people exiting homelessness,” Sabo told Illinois Times. “[Hope Springs II] is something we would be really excited to see happen in our community.”
Sabo also had good things to say about Envision Unlimited’s administration of services at the current Hope Springs location. “I’ve heard positive comments from a lot of different spheres about how the services Envision has brought have been beneficial for the clients there,” he said. “This facility will help to effectively address homelessness and mental health issues – so hopefully it’s something we can all get behind and help make happen.”
“This particular proposed project is designed to increase the number of supportive housing units in Springfield and support the state's plan to end homelessness,” said Mark McHugh, president and CEO of Envision Unlimited, during the recent MIMD meeting. “In addition to Hope Springs – and hopefully Hope Springs II – there's a lot of hope there.” McHugh also mentioned other related initiatives being pursued by Envision and its subsidiary, Bluestem Housing Partners, including a proposed community mental health center and a program to help people transition out of Packard Mental Health Center and back into the community.
North Arrow’s presentation said that Hope Springs II would “help transform an older, underutilized lot into a crucial housing resource for the in-need and at-risk in Springfield. Expanding housing options that integrate mental health care will not only improve the quality of life for individuals but also reduce the societal and economic costs associated with untreated mental illness and homelessness.”
While the original Hope Springs is located in Ward 3, the second phase slated to be a built a few blocks south would be located in Ward 5.
Ward 5 Ald. Lakeisha Purchase said she is in full support of the facility. “I personally live here in Enos Park,” she told Illinois Times. “I walk my neighborhood, and I haven’t seen any issues [with the original Hope Springs]. It’s right here within the Medical District, and my neighborhood association is in full support.”Purchased pointed out that Hope Springs II is not the only work she is doing to address the problem of unhoused individuals in her ward, citing plans to utilize the former Sportsman's Lounge site at 229 Mason St. to construct a facility for people trying to transition from homelessness.
Last September, Purchase introduced an ordinance to ban “public camping,” which was based on a model ordinance drafted by the Illinois Municipal League. At the time, a homeless encampment had formed in the public right-of-way on the east side of North Fifth Street, just south of North Grand Avenue, leading to complaints from neighbors and nearby businesses. But after several hours of public comments at city council meetings from citizens who said the measure would be unfair to people experiencing homelessness, the ordinance was never brought forward for a vote.
“These two projects show that I am not against unhoused populations,” she said. “I am for whatever solutions we can bring forward that enhance their quality of life because they’re humans just like we are, they just maybe took the wrong path or didn’t have a choice and need a little bit more help.”
Ward 3 Ald. Roy Williams said during an interview that he is against adding more social services in his ward.
“We’ve done our fair share of it. But (as far as Hope Springs), the immediate neighbors tell me, ‘Oh, these guys are no problem,’ – some of them even know each other on a first-name basis,” he said. “It worked in Ward 3 and it will probably also work just as well in Ward 5. And anything would be better than what’s there now – we’re trying to rebuild Ninth Street.”
Linda Maier is a longtime resident of Enos Park who serves as a manager for Enos Park Development, the real estate arm of the neighborhood association that worked with Hope Springs on the original development and assisted with site selection for the second phase.
“The current facility on Ninth Street is a non-issue – there are no problems with it that I’m aware of, and they’ve been a good neighbor,” she said. “Quite honestly, anything new on Ninth Street would be welcome and a godsend.”
This story has been updated to reflect that the zoning change was approved at the April 15 Springfield City Council meeting.
