by Sean Johnson, feature article on the RAIN Eugene website.
“There is a renaissance happening in downtown Springfield. Quietly, a thriving community of startups, entrepreneurs, and new businesses are helping to transform Springfield’s downtown Main St. area and beyond into an energetic hub of innovation and enterprise. The synergy that has come with the arrival of the new entrepreneurs has brought vitality and a surging sense of pride for businesses, both old and new in the downtown area.
The reasons that new startups have chosen Springfield are as diverse as these new companies that are starting to thrive from the Willamette River to Mid-Town. There are the normal reasons for choosing a location to start a company. The support of the City of Springfield, availability of affordable space and infrastructure like Springfield Station, the EMX bus station, are the most visible reasons for the growth of downtown. However; there is one main reason entrepreneurs and founders are flocking to Springfield. Community.
Who makes this community vibrant and growing? What are the reasons that so many entrepreneurs and founders are choosing to cross the river? Here are a few of the many answers to both questions.”
“Booth Kelly Makers District is made up of a group of startups, entrepreneurs and craftsmen in and around downtown Springfield and the Booth Kelly Mill complex. This coalition of businesses offers monthly meetups for local craft industry entrepreneurs to share ideas and network. The Booth Kelly Makers District’s members strongly support entrepreneurship and startups and their crafts.”
“Campfire Collaborative is an architecture and design firm co-founded by Jenna Fribley and Kelsey Buzzell. They believe that every design should always tell a story. To them, everything is a design opportunity. This means that Campfire Collaborative specializes in variety. Their love for the challenge of unique projects allows for a combination of storytelling and creative problem solving skills to create engaging architectural design, interior environments, visual media, products, experimental/temporary installations, and anything else that you can dream.
Jenna and Kelsey said; “We chose downtown Springfield for our studio because were excited to be a part of the downtown revitalization effort and we wanted to be located along the EmX line. Planning works!””