When Mayor Theodore E. "Teddy" Dimauro took office in 1978, downtown Springfield was down on its luck.Like many struggling cities, the 1970s had not been kind to Springfield's once-bustling Main Street.

Landmark retailer Forbes & Wallace had closed its doors and the Steiger's flagship department store was experiencing competition from suburban malls. It was clear that downtown needed to develop a new niche for itself.

Read more

Source: http://www.masslive.com/