SPRINGFIELD, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – The city of Springfield will hold its fourth annual Build Springfield community event Saturday, bringing city agencies, community organizations and family activities to Bun Field.
The event will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at 1300 E. Division St.
Ethan Posey, the city’s director of community relations, said the event has evolved into a community resource and touch-a-truck event designed to connect residents with city departments and local organizations.
“It’s become a touch-and-truck and a community resource event,” Posey said.
Families can receive free barbecue from Manny’s BBQ and free flu shots from Hyvee’s Pharmacy. The event also will feature face painting, inflatables, children’s activities and public safety vehicles.
Representatives from city agencies and about 15 to 16 community partners are expected to attend, providing information and resources to residents.
Posey said the event is also intended to highlight improvements made in the surrounding neighborhood over the past four years.
He said the city has focused on showing residents that investment in their neighborhood can lead to visible changes.
Posey also pointed to a reduction in violent crime reflected in the city’s ShotSpotter data, which he attributed to increased investment and engagement in the area.
“Just by showing up and showing investment in a community,” Posey said, the city has been able to make progress.
The Build Springfield initiative is also intended to help the city determine what individual neighborhoods need, rather than applying the same approach throughout the city.
Posey said city representatives go door-to-door in the neighborhood each year to ask residents what they would like to see improved.
“Every neighborhood that needs improvement doesn’t need the same things,” Posey said. “Not a cookie cutter, not one-size-fits-all.”
Posey said the approach could serve as a model for future events and improvement efforts in other parts of Springfield.
The event is free and open to the public. Residents will have an opportunity to meet representatives from city agencies, learn about community resources and participate in activities for the entire family.
