UPDATE: Peter Picknelly, CEO of Peter Pan Bus Lines, according to the Springfield Republican, has said he will purchase the Student Prince and Fort and plans to open it again in the fall with only “a few tweaks.”

Earlier, it was Gus & Paul’s, the deli in East Forest Park. Now, according to the Springfield Republican, Springfield may lose the Student Prince and The Fort, downtown. The owners, citing decreasing usage, are closing the operation down. (The Fort, for me, was a place I hoped to visit when I came back in October for the reunion.)

Frequenters of the Fort Street business — much of the Springfield establishment due to its proximity to City Hall and federal buildings — are hoping for new owners, and a sale is possible.

Yet another example of how the Springfield we once knew continues to change. That’s often a good thing. Is it in this case? What’s the future of downtown? Will a casino be a boost? Short-term or long-term?