SPRINGFIELD — A panel studying ways to draw more tourists to the city is proposing the addition of a gourmet food hall, a major basketball competition complex and a Dr. Seuss-themed road race.
It is also recommending the city consider creating an office, or at least a coordinator, of tourism, sports and entertainment to bring together and market better the many existing tourism entities that exist here already, such as the Basketball Hall of Fame, the Springfield Museums, MGM Springfield and Spirit of Springfield events, said City Councilor Sean Curran, who chaired the group.
In January, City Council President Jesse Lederman created four working groups, each led by a city councilor that had seven to 14 members from across the city to study different aspects of city life, including tourism.
“The goal is to bring fresh ideas to the table. … We had folks who were deeply engaged in the community and folks who had never been engaged,” Lederman said, adding some of the other groups included those for digital equity and civic engagement.
The tourism and creative economy group was sparked from a comment made by William Hornbuckle, president of MGM Resorts International, who admitted that casino officials overestimated the number of people it could draw to Springfield. He challenged the city to find a way to become more of a destination for travelers, Curran said.
Curran said the committee came up with ideas that can be implemented immediately, and others that would need more time, resources and money to implement.
One of the longer-term projects would be to create a high-end food hall based on Hartford’s Parkville Market or Worcester’s Public Market, which opened in 2020.
“We would focus on high-end trained chefs, and all would have a specialty,” he said. “Everyone would have a kiosk, and we would have 15 to 20 kiosks.”
Curran said the committee’s vision is to place the hall on Worthington Street in the vacant lot where a 2012 gas explosion destroyed…
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