SPRINGFIELD - A proposed site for a new conference center in the Gateway area might be the best spot for the city, but some mobile home park residents say the site could leave them without a place to live.

The wind of change is blowing through Patrician Mobile Homes Park, and it carries a bleak message for residents.

"Our beautiful home, I can't believe it," says resident Anita Griswold.

Griswold's home, and all the others here, could be replaced by a new conference center. Developers see this as prime real estate, just as someone once did in 1972 when the park was built. But more than 35 years later the future is squeezing folks out.

"We're going to have to give all this up, when, not if we get our eviction notices," says Griswold.

Still, it's not a done deal yet. In fact, it could take years to process things like zoning changes. But residents like Griswold are already worried about where they'll go. There are 25 mobile home parks in Springfield, but safety rules could make moving difficult.

"The ones that were built prior to 1976 are older, they don't meet H.U.D. standards for quality of housing and long term housing," says Springfield Community Development manager John Tamulonis.

Though Tamulonis says there are other options for residents to live in, and even protection laws. "When they give you that one year notice, they're supposed to give you half of what their entitled to for helping relocate. That is $5,000 for a single wide mobile home or manufactured home, $7,000 for a double wide and $9,000 for a triple wide," says Tamulonis.

But Griswold says the money is not enough. "There's nothing we can do," she says. Except she says: "we have to start all over again, and we're being booted out eventually that's the bottom line we're going to have to go eventually."

Again, despite residents worries the conference center is not a done deal yet. Thursday we talked to the Patrician Mobile Home parks property owner about the future of the site. Richard Boyles says: "we acquired the property because we see it as being in the path of growth. I believe at some point the use of the property will change, but we do not have a time table for changing the use of property nor a definite plan for the future use of that property."

Boyles also says they haven't given notice to anyone. And if there is a change, they'll comply with state laws for residents protections.