Newly retired Springfield Planning & Development interim director to lead Restore SGF

Marta Mieze, Springfield News-Leader
·3 min read

Less than a week after being honored by the Springfield City Council for his public service and retirement, Brendan Griesemer has already secured his next gig, leading a new nonprofit focused on housing.

Restore SGF, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to encouraging home ownership and restoring historic neighborhoods, has named Griesemer as their new and first executive director. Dana Elwell served as the interim director previously.

Brendan Griesemer, newly retired from the City of Springfield, was named the new executive director of Restore SGF. He spent 27 years at the Planning and Development Department.
Brendan Griesemer, newly retired from the City of Springfield, was named the new executive director of Restore SGF. He spent 27 years at the Planning and Development Department.

The new director's accomplishments

Griesemer worked for the city for 27 years during which he pioneered various new initiatives. He created the Springfield Community Land Trust, co-wrote the city's first "boarded building" ordinance and developed the Homeowner Emergency Loan Program in collaboration with four local nonprofits. He was also inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Certified Planners in 2022.

After serving as the assistant director of Planning and Development, Griesemer took on the interim director position in May. He will start as the head of Restore SGF team on Tuesday.

The retiree was recognized at Monday's council meeting for his years of public service via resolution noting all his accomplishments, including establishing the city's Neighborhood Registry program, assistance on the city's Neighborhood Clean-up program and his role as a founding member of the Housing Collaborative. In his acceptance of the honor, Griesemer credited much of his work to the team and encouraged the city to lean on the expertise of the staff as they move forth implementing the Forward SGF Comprehensive Plan.

Restore SGF programs

The first of Restore SGF's programs launched in September, focused on supporting external home improvements with up to $2,500 reimbursements. In order to apply for this funding, neighbors have to work in teams from five to 19. Teams of five to nine people are eligible for $1,000, while larger teams can receive up to $2,500. Each team member has to be a homeowner and must be able to see their next team member's home from their front porch.

According to a Restore SGF news release, 40 individuals have taken advantage of the program investing, more than $170,000 in their neighborhoods. A new round of funding will kick off in the spring.

The second installment of programming is a down payment assistance program for first-time home buyers. The organization will provide qualifying homebuyers a $9,000 grant for down payment and closing costs. The borrower must contribute at least $1,500 of their own money. The program will launch in a few weeks, according to the release.

More: Springfield has more renters than homeowners. Here's what else the housing study found

Both programs currently apply to only five neighborhoods: Grant Beach, Doling Park (east of Robberson Avenue), Fassnight, Meador Park (east of National Avenue) and Woodland Heights. As the programs prove successful, Restore SGF hopes to expand the neighborhoods eligible for assistance.

According to previous News-Leader reporting, Restore SGF also hopes to launch a revolving loan fund where the organization will purchase properties and enlist developers and contractors to refurbish the homes before they are sold to prospective homeowners.

Marta Mieze covers local government at the News-Leader. Contact her with tips at mmieze@news-leader.com

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Restore SGF names former city planning director its new director