City Councilor Jose Delgado and Maxine Brown stand out on Parker Street in Springfield in front of the polling location at the Clodo Concepcion Community Center in Ward 5. Delgado, an at large councilor, was the top vote-getter in his reelection bid.
Reminder Publishing file photo
With 2025 entering the rearview mirror, Reminder Publishing is taking a look back at some of the biggest stories in Springfield from the past year. Between new developments and controversial elections, 2025 was a big year for the city.
Elections signal some change
Springfield’s election on Nov. 4 marked the highest voter turnout in years for an election without statewide races or a mayoral race, and was marked by many closely contested races for School Committee and City Council seats.
Overall, 12,623 people cast their ballot on Election Day, just over 10% of the city’s registered voters. This was the highest turnout for voters in a year that did not include state or mayoral races since 2013, which saw 11,643 voters cast their ballots.
All but three City Council seats saw contested races, with several races coming as close as an 18-vote difference in the ward races.
In the race for at large City Council, which was for five seats, Councilor Jose Delgado was the top vote getter with 6,661 votes, followed by former councilor and mayoral candidate Justin Hurst at 5,447 votes, Councilor Tracye Whitfield with 5,255 votes, Councilor Kateri Walsh with 5,140 votes and Councilor Brian Santaniello with 5,011 votes.
After running an unsuccessful bid for Mayor Domenic Sarno’s seat in 2023, Hurst will return to his City Council seat.
Candidates that did not make the top five seats include Councilor Sean Curran, who received 4,923 votes; candidate Juan Latorre, who received 4,576 votes; and candidate Nicole Coakely, who received 4,292 votes.
In the Ward 1 City Council race, incumbent Maria Perez beat challenger Joesiah Gonzalez 550-518. In Ward 4 incumbent Councilor Malo Brown defeated challenger Wille J. Naylor 707-677. In Ward 5 incumbent Lavar Click-Bruce defeated Edward Nunez 1,072-1,023. In Ward 6 incumbent Victor Davila defeated challenger Mary Johnson 848-830. In Ward 7, challenger Gerry Martin defeated incumbent Timothy Allen 2,043-1,047.
In Wards 2, 3 and 8, City Council President Michael Fenton, Councilor Melvin Edwards and Councilor Zaida Govan were unopposed and will retain their seats.
All but one of the School Committee races were contested, with Gumersindo Gomez taking the seat vacated by Gonzalez in his pursuit of the Ward 1 City Council seat.
In the at large School Committee race, incumbents Denise Hurst and LaTonia Monroe Naylor received 7,380 votes and 6,206 votes, respectively, to outlast Michele Pepe’s 3,781 votes.
In the race for District 2, incumbent Barbara Gresham defeated challenger Giselle Gaines 2,168-1,073. In the race for District 3, challenger Rosa Valentin ousted incumbent Christopher Collins with a 2,398-2,165 vote. In the District 4 race, challenger Ayanna Crawford defeated incumbent Peter Murphy 1,213-901.\
Successful candidates on the City Council will take office in January for two-year terms, while the winners on the School Committee will also take office in January on four-year terms.
Maria Perez ousted from NNCC, sues organization
Reminder Publishing file photo
Ward 1 City Councilor Maria Perez is taking legal action against her former workmates at New North Citizens Council for what she claims — among other things — was a “wrongful termination” from her job as chief of housing programs.
The multi-count complaint, filed by Perez’s attorneys in Hampden County Superior Court, accuses the lawsuit’s defendants — including the NNCC — of spearheading an “organized conspiracy to terminate and defame” Perez, who was officially fired from her position at NNCC on July 21.
According to her attorneys, Perez is seeking $1 million in damages.
In a vague press release sent to media outlets on July 26, NNCC announced that Perez was terminated from her position after a “thorough internal review.” The release did not clearly delineate why she was fired, but stated that “NNCC strongly condemns the embezzlement of federal funds and the misuse of 501c3 resources for political purposes.”
The press release was sent by former NNCC Board of Directors Clerk Efrain Vazquez Jr.
In another release Aug. 1, in response to the July 26 one, Ligus said she was “directly involved” in the decision to fire Perez and stated that the July 26 announcement contained “certain inaccuracies.” She also shared that the initial press release was issued “without knowledge or approval of NNCC executive leadership and without formal authorization from the NNCC Board.”
Among other things, Perez’s lawsuit accuses Ligus and Joesiah Gonzalez — a former member of the NNCC board and was Perez’s opponent in the Ward 1 City Council race in the fall — of working together to craft the July 26 press release.
The lawsuit described the initial release as a “calculated attack” containing false information.
Biomass project back on after court ruling
The city of Springfield and its residents were dealt a blow in the latest chapter of their struggle to keep a woody biomass energy plant from being built in East Springfield.
In October, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court declined to hear an appeal of a lower court’s ruling, potentially paving the way for Palmer Renewable Energy to build its plant.
Palmer Renewable Energy first approached the city to site a 35-megawatt biomass power facility at 1000 Page Blvd. in 2008. At that time a special permit was granted and building permits were issued in December 2011. A month later, they were revoked by the Springfield Board of Appeals. Palmer Renewable Energy brought the case to Land Court, and after an appeals process, the permits were reinstated. That phase of the legal process ended in 2015.
In 2021, the Zoning Board of Appeals granted a City Council request to halt the project, stating that work had not begun within 180 days of the permit issuances, as required under law. Palmer Renewable Energy again brought the city and its Board of Appeals to Land Court, arguing that it obeyed the tolling period, or pause on the statute of limitations while litigation was pursued, and a four-year extension on building permits passed by the state during the coronavirus pandemic.
Land Court sided with the city, saying the tolling period and the four-year extension ran concurrently, and declared the permits expired in 2016. However, in May, the state’s Appeals Court reversed that decision. On Oct. 22, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court declined to hear the case, leaving the Appeals Court ruling in place.
Springfield Gardens forced to sell after conditions for tenants
Schweb Partners LLC and multiple related entities are officially banned from managing or owning property in Massachusetts after a recent ruling by a Suffolk County Superior Court judge.
The decision means that Schweb, the New Jersey-based real estate company who owned the “Springfield Gardens” apartments, will have to pay $2.5 million to the commonwealth and forgive $7.5 million of unpaid rent to affected tenants for violating various housing laws.
The $10 million settlement in consumer relief was reached with the attorney general’s office via a proposed consent judgement. Schweb, along with its principles Jacques Schmidt and Abraham Weber, cannot own or operate real estate in Massachusetts anymore.
Attorney General Andrea Campbell first announced this settlement via a press release in early September.
X project breaks ground
Reminder Publishing file photo
City and state officials gathered outside the main entrance of Forest Park on May 21 to celebrate the start of the $27.5 million “X” reconstruction project, a roadway initiative over 10 years in the making.
Early construction of the project began in March 2025 with installation of advanced traffic signage, survey work, mobilization to the site, preliminary utility investigation and tree and vegetation removal.
During the groundbreaking, DPW Director Chris Cignoli, the city and MassDOT said they were ready to embark on utility work on all of the impacted streets, including drainage, water and gas upgrades.
Sarno said the entire “X” project will be done in phases, with drainage construction happening between summer 2025 and summer 2026; water line construction between 2026 and 2027; electric and conduit work between 2028-2029; and roadway construction in summer 2029.
Springfield Crossing opens for business on old mall site
Springfield Crossing has officially begun its replacement of the Eastfield Mall. Beginning with PetSmart, BJ’s and Chik-fil-A, the first businesses officially opened in December.
The culmination of the project comes after the Springfield City Council officially approved a special permit for mall redevelopment in 2023. The developers of the project, Onyx Partners Ltd., said that the total redevelopment of the mall would cost $65-$85 million. The Eastfield Mall officially closed in summer 2023.
In June, the City Council also approved District Improvement Financing for the project, committing $8 million to the district to help pay costs for demolition, abatement, site prep, earthwork and paving.
According to Chief Development Officer Tim Sheehan, the first phase of the project is expected to increase the property tax revenue for the site from $600,000 a year to $2.7 million per year. Under the DIF agreement, $1 million of that $2.7 million would go the city while another $1 million would pay off bonds issued by MassDevelopment. If the expected yearly tax revenue of $2.7 million is not met, the city is not obligated to come up with that difference.
Councilors spearhead effort to clean up parks, specifically with drugs
Reminder Publishing file photo
The chairs of the City Council’s Health and Human Services and Public Safety committees joined forces to work on a home rule petition that urges the state to change its current laws around drugs near playgrounds and schools.
At Large City Councilor Brian Santaniello and Ward 5 City Councilor Lavar Click-Bruce said on July 29 they were working with the city’s legal department on drafting the petition.
The councilors took next steps in their pursuit of stricter drug laws in the commonwealth around playgrounds and schools during its regular meeting on Sept. 15.
The petition aims to recover a law from over a decade ago that would dish out a two-year mandatory sentence to drug dealers standing within 1,000 feet of schools and playgrounds.
That law used to be in effect until it was amended in 2012.
Now, in order to violate the state law, drug activity must occur within 300 feet of a school zone and 100 feet within a playground, according to Springfield Lt. Jamie Bruno, and a threat of violence must emerge during the drug transaction.
Courthouse proposals
Following what was a monthslong request for proposals process, the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance officially released the 11 proposals that were submitted for the new Springfield Regional Justice Center.
Among the proposals is one presented by Auto Sales President Jeb Balise and Tom Dennis — president of the Dennis Engineering Group — under the name USPB JV LLC.
The duo recently earned an exemption from the city’s Historical Commission so they can demolish the four buildings at 101-103 Lyman St., 113 Lyman St., 127 Lyman St. and 186 Chestnut St in hopes of putting the new courthouse there.
Another proposal was submitted by Monarch Enterprises, led by Principal Paul Picknelly. According to a release sent to Reminder Publishing, Picknelly is proposing the new courthouse to be built at 55 State St., which sits across from the current Roderick Ireland Courthouse.
Monarch is partnering with several firms for the proposal, including Finegold Alexander Architects of Boston, who has designed several courthouses in the past, according to Monarch.
WestMass Area Development Corporation was selected as the property manager for the proposed courthouse project.
DCAMM’s RFP process also yielded two separate proposals from the HYM Investment Group, LLC. The Boston-based real estate company presented one proposal at 50 State St., which is where the current Roderick Ireland Courthouse resides, and another proposal at 91 Taylor St., where the former Mardi Gras strip club was located.
Other proposals submitted include two from Springfield Tower Square, LLC and one from Peter Picknelly at the North End Riverfront site. The latter plan was first introduced by Picknelly in 2022 and supported by Mayor Domenic Sarno at the time.
SNAP halt in November, response from community and municipalities
With a halt in federal funding for the SNAP program leaving food insecure people scrambling to feed themselves and their children during the government shutdown, local officials and organizations worked hard to fill the need and ease anxiety, but found their own resources stretched in many cases.
Among the initiatives to keep the community fed in Springfield was a coalition formed by Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi, Bishop Talbert Swan of the NAACP and the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.
Springfield is home to 53 food pantry programs, operated by nonprofits, churches and civic organizations. At a press conference on Nov. 3, Sarno said that 47% of Springfield residents receive SNAP benefits.
Additionally, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal and Gov. Maura Healey visited the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts on separate occasions to urge President Donald Trump’s administration to release SNAP payments and commend the work of those working to fight hunger in Massachusetts.
Earlier in the year, the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts received notice of its first federal funding cut this year which was that the United States Department of Agriculture canceled some food deliveries to the Food Bank through August, amounting to approximately $440,000 worth of food.
While this loss of federal food represented only 1% of the Food Bank’s total distribution last year, the nonprofit needed to make up for this shortfall by drawing on its emergency reserves to purchase food.
Former Healey aid Lamar Cook arrested on cocaine trafficking charges
LaMar Cook was arrested and charged with cocaine trafficking after nearly 8 kilograms of the drug were allegedly delivered to the Springfield State Office Building, 436 Dwight St., where Cook worked at the deputy director of Gov. Maura Healey’s Western Massachusetts office. Cook’s employment has since been terminated.
Trafficking cocaine, a Class B substance, is a felony. After the initial probable cause hearing on Oct. 29, Judge William Rota ordered Cook to be held until a full hearing on Friday, Oct. 31, to provide his attorney, Kedar Ismail, time to acquaint himself with the case. Cook will enter a formal plea at that time. Rota imposed a $25,000 cash bail upon release after the hearing.
Cook’s arrest was the result of an investigation by the Massachusetts State Police Commonwealth Interstate Narcotics Reduction Enforcement Team and the State Police Detective Unit, with help from Homeland Security Investigation.
Baystate Health to offer buyouts in bid to cut costs
In an effort to cut costs, the largest employer in Western Massachusetts, Baystate Health, has announced that it is offering severance packages to some of its 1,300 employees who opt for “voluntary separation.”
Baystate Health operates hospitals, specialist clinics and primary care offices, including the flagship campus at 759 Chestnut St. in Springfield, Baystate Noble Hospital in Westfield, Baystate Wing Hospital in Palmer and Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield.
The Baystate Health system serves 800,000 people throughout the Pioneer Valley.
In a Nov. 14 press release, Baystate Health stated that the employee buyouts were an effort to “sustain our momentum through continued financial transformation.” It cited “rising labor costs, inflation and reimbursement challenges” as factors in its decision. It also called out the federal One Big Beautiful Bill, passed in July, for “creating additional headwinds for health systems across the country.”
The separations will affect Baystate Health and its subsidiaries, including Health New England, but the company stated that the positions being targeted by the voluntary separations were “non-direct patient care areas.” Rather, Baystate said it is recruiting and hiring physicians, advanced practice providers and bed-side caregivers.
