Plenty of potential, as the real estate agents say.

The thrty-story fixer-upper that is the Wyndham hotel is up for an online auction April 15-18.

The financially troubled high-rise, now fifty years old, has gone through numerous unfulfilled plans for recovery, most recently being rezoned for about half the rooms to be market-rate apartments. The city’s tourism director opposed that plan, saying in a city dependent on the General Assembly, tourism, and conventions, Springfield is ill advised to sacrifice the downtown hotel rooms.

Also opposed: Ald. Shawn Gregory. “There’s a strong, strong want for it to stay primarily a hotel,” Gregory told WTAX News. “As we grow, particularly with the (Scheels Sports Park) coming on line within a year or so, I think there are some strong opinions out there to hold it as a hotel as much as it can be.”

We asked Springfield Hotel and Lodging Association president Darin Dame where things went wrong.

“In our industry,” he responded, “I think covid has some things to do with the full service hotels, but we are also starting to see the downtowns are not as vibrant as they used to be – and there’s perhaps a little bit of not putting money back into it,”

Dame adds that last part is not necessarily aimed at the Wyndham and its current owners, but people who have stayed there recently can probably think of one or two potential overdue projects.

The online listing, specifying a starting bid of $3 million, does not mention the extent of the work needed to bring the hotel – at times known as Forum 30 and the Hilton – back to its former glory. Those repairs would include replacing the HVAC system.