Records show Jubilee Park changes meant to prevent homeless people from camping, loitering

The city of Springfield revealed plans in October to reconfigure Jubilee Park in downtown Springfield. Renovations at the small park were pitched as a way to improve "safety, maintenance and overall usability of the space." With work now underway, records obtained by the News-Leader show the original effort to assess and make changes to the space was prompted by complaints about homeless people and a desire to prevent camping in the park.

As part of the renovations, the city plans to remove stone walls and planters, replace trees in poor condition with new ones and upgrade walkways for comfort, with the city citing safety improvements and deferred maintenance as the root cause for the changes. Located at 298 S. Jefferson Avenue, the park is split into a north and a south portion by St. Louis Street.

Original request focused on homeless people

The original announcement by the city noted the planning was initiated by a request from the Downtown Community Improvement District "to assess safety, maintenance and overall usability of the space." But that email, which the News-Leader obtained under the state Sunshine Law, shows a more pointed request from Barb Baker, manager of the Downtown CID, who wrote to the heads of Public Works on June 21, 2021 seeking to "not have camping in Jubilee Park North."

The email notes "homeless hanging out and camping in the corner by the stone wall." Baker wrote that the area is dirty and smells. When multiple people are gathered there, she said maintenance staff are not comfortable going into the park to clean.

Baker asked Public Works to look into removing the stone walls that surround the area where people would gather, or find another solution to discourage encampment. Though the park is closed from 1:30-5:30 a.m., Baker noted that the people camping were aware of the days when police officers were not patrolling the area and would return after being asked to disperse.

An initial response from Kirk Juranas, assistant director of Public Works, suggested avoiding demolition and instead adding stone landscaping to make the areas used for camping "much less desirable." But final plans include the removal of all stone features to create a green space amid the otherwise developed area. The history of the area was examined and no restrictions were found on its modification.

Police conduct environmental study

This summer, Springfield Police Department conducted a Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) study of the space. The study focused on natural surveillance, lighting, territorial reinforcement, landscaping, maintenance and positive activity generators complete with images of the park and the homeless people using the walls.

The study found the stone walls and some landscaping obstructed the ability of passers-by to see into the park, a key concept of design aimed at making spaces undesirable for criminal activity. The study also noted the need for better upkeep and maintenance so the park would not be treated as if it was abandoned.

While there are old globe-style lamps in the middle of the park, an officer writing in the study noted these are "more decorative than functional." The lights provide good lighting in the middle of the park but create shadows near the walls, according to the CPTED. The officer conducting the study also noted, "Additional LED lighting over the walls would help to illuminate it and increase natural surveillance at night while making it less appealing for camping."

The final list of recommendations from the study included removal of the walls, addition of lighting and signage for the park, cleaning the downtown map in the park, maintenance of walkways and replacing a bench in the north portion with CPTED-approved seating options around the park. Documents from the International CPTED Association recommend benches with a lower armrest in the middle of the bench as a seating option to prevent sleeping.

More: City proposes removing walls, planters at downtown Jubilee Park to improve visibility

Work to remove trees, walls is ongoing

Tim Rosenbury, the city's director of Quality of Place Initiatives, told the News-Leader in October that the park has received few if any updates since it was built in the 1970s. The park is the former site of the Jewell Theater, where the Ozark Jubilee was broadcast on ABC-TV in the 1950s.

The city began working on the park Nov. 27 and removed approximately 10 trees in poor condition after receiving no public comment expressing major concerns. Next week, crews will return to remove the walls and planters, with that work set to be completed by the end of the year, according to a city news release. Replacement tree plantings and landscaping will take place in the spring.

The project will be completed by internal Public Works streets and grounds crews for less than $5,000. When completed, the plan is to have two round groves of shade trees with open space in the middle on both sides of the park.

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: Jubilee Park changes linked to homeless camping, public records show