Economic Development Committee: City of Springfield Economic Development

In July, the Springfield Chamber’s Economic Development Committee hosted a special session, sponsored by Eugene Magazine, to hear from the City of Springfield on their Economic Development vision and priorities. Attendees heard from Courtney Griesel, the city’s Economic Development Manager, and from Mayor Christine Lundberg. Griesel touched on the city’s emphasis on retention and expansion of existing business, and recruitment of target industries that mesh well with Springfield’s vision for economic growth. She highlighted Springfield’s work in business retention, as well as recruitment. The City of Springfield focuses on its assets such as high quality and affordable utilities, cost of living, and construction costs in comparison to competitive metros in Oregon and neighboring states. 

Springfield Mayor Christine Lundberg spoke with an eye toward the future when discussing recent accomplishments and priority projects for the city. Mayor Lundberg noted that the successes the city is currently seeing are due to years of hard work by city council and staff. The city set forth a visioning process that has led to priority projects which foster a continuously growing and thriving Springfield. On the priority list over the next couple of years are a new, state-of-the-art indoor track facility that would not only tie into the region’s identity as the home of track & field, but would be a resource for community events and other indoor sports. To be located in Glenwood, the track will feature alongside two other priority projects: bringing a conference center to Springfield, and revitalizing the Glenwood riverfront. All of this adds up to a bustling present and exciting future for economic development in Springfield. 

Read more about the Springfield’s Economic Development Program in this article by The Creswell Chronicle.