The city of Springfield still shows some of the scars of the 2011 tornado ranging from the still unresolved rebuild of the Hill Homes housing complex of Old Hill to the long-awaited construction of a new regional high school on the vacant grounds of Cathedral High School.
SPRINGFIELD — Five years later, the city of Springfield still shows some of the scars of the tornado of 2011, ranging from the still-unresolved fate of the Hill Homes housing complex in Old Hill to the still-vacant grounds of Cathedral High School in East Forest Park.
While many homeowners who were insured were able to rebuild their homes or make full repairs that improved the quality of housing, not all news was rosy, said Geraldine McCafferty, the city's director of housing.
"At the same time, there are definitely lingering housing problems," MCafferty said. "Rental neighborhoods were hit particularly hard and recovery has been more difficult there. Landlords have less investment in immediately repairing and a number have walked away."
Other reminders of the tornado include the loss of the South End Community Center and the destruction of thousands of shade trees as a result of the tornado and an ice storm in late October of 2011. But the city has fought back with plans to build a new community center in the South End and the planting of more than 4,000 replacement trees, and counting through public and private funds, officials said.
The South End Community Center has operated at temporary locations since the tornado, but construction of a new center is slated to begin soon at Emerson Wight Park, officials said.
In East Forest Park area, there has been a tremendous recovery in new homes, officials said, but Cathedral High School in that neighborhood remains just open land surrounded by fencing following heavy damage from the tornado, and subsequent demolition.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield is preparing to build a new, smaller Pope Francis High School in its place.
Regarding the loss of housing in Springfield, the Hill Homes housing complex has "really struggled" in the aftermath of the tornado and legal issues, McCafferty said.
Hill Homes is a 90-unit, multi-family housing development on two parcels on Hickory and Hancock streets, owned by the Hill Homes Housing Cooperative, on behalf of the residents. The buildings on Hickory Street in Old Hill were struck by the tornado, with 26 of the 39 units condemned by the city due to severe damage, officials said.
Since that time, some of the buildings on Hickory Street were demolished by court order, and there has been no resolution to the future of that complex, officials said. There were disagreements between residents and the cooperative's board of directors if the property should be redeveloped, or if that site should be sold, and the development rebuilt at some alternate site, officials said.
There were also disputes and delays over insurance, residents said.
The experience since the tornado "was horrible," said Rhonda Sherrill, whose home was destroyed on Hickory Street. She moved to one of the other undamaged units. It was helped by the residents paying off a mortgage to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development last July, she said.
"The future of Hill Homes is we are finally looking at stabilizing, finally being in position to decide how we are going to redevelop to replace the 26 unites," Sherrill said. "It was very devastating and unsettling not to be assured of your housing."
The tornado did not just take housing and possessions but "makes you realize that your whole life can be turned outside down in a split second," Sherrill said.
On Hickory Street, three buildings remain totaling 13 units. An additional 51 units on Hancock Street were not struck by the tornado.
Five of the residents filed suit in Superior Court a year ago against the board of directors of the Hill Homes Housing Cooperative, saying the board failed to property represent them in the aftermath of the tornado. That suit remains unresolved.
Another housing development that has been unresolved are eight, two-bedroom apartments owned by the Springfield Housing Authority that were lost in the 2011 tornado at 425 Central St., in the Maple High-Six Corners area.
While tenants were relocated -- first to a hotel and then to other public housing -- the building is gone and the lot remains vacant five years later. The housing authority has filed repeated appeals with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for about $1 million in disaster funds, still under appeal.
The South End Community Center was displaced when its long-term site - the former state armory building - was struck and severely damaged by the tornado. The property was purchased by MGM Springfield, with the front of the building saved to become part of the casino design, but the community center was left waiting for a new site to be built.
The city will soon start construction of the new community center, with federal disaster aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, with the new site owned by the city and leased to the center.