The Springfield mayoral candidates showcased their diverging attitudes and perspectives concerning the future of the old Wyndham City Centre downtown.
The current owner of the famous 30-story hotel, New York company Goodhomes, still wants to convert dozens of units to apartments, saying it needs those tenants to remain financially solvent in the venture.
Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder says he supports that idea, so long as the Wyndham building retains 225 to 250 hotel rooms, as well as conference space for conventions.
But during Wednesday’s candidate forum – heard live on WMAY – challenger Misty Buscher stated her belief that the Wyndham building should not have any of its hotel rooms converted to apartment housing.
Buscher says that this conversion would mean less convention business downtown, damaging downtown shops that rely on visitors, rather than city residents, for the bulk of their business.
