Two new national retailers are opening in Springfield this week, both focused on outdoor activities and sporting goods. Academy Sports + Outdoors has a grand opening scheduled for 9 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 17, for the new location at 3211 S. Veterans Parkway. Academy Sports joins Old Navy in the Southwest Plaza III shopping center […]
Michelle Ownbey
Michelle Ownbey is the publisher of Springfield Business Journal and Illinois Times.
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Innovate Springfield to create mentorship program for high school students
Innovate Springfield, the University of Illinois Springfield’s downtown business incubator, is partnering with the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition (ISTC) to create a professional mentorship matching program for high school students in the Sangamon CEO program. The students will be paired with innovative leaders to work on student-driven business startup ideas. “We hope that these […]
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European Wax Center opens in Springfield
European Wax Center is coming to Springfield. The location at 4423 Yucan Dr. in Cobblestone Plaza is holding a soft opening on Thursday, Nov. 9, according to manager Sydney Beach. The company, based in Plano, Texas, has nearly 900 locations throughout the U.S. While there are numerous European Wax Center sites in the Chicago area, […]
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Compass for Kids moves into new office, hires Christy Freeman Stark
After experiencing significant growth, Compass for Kids has moved into its own office space with the purchase of a building at 1201 S. Fourth St. The nonprofit has also hired Christy Freeman Stark as director of marketing, a full-time position shared with Kidzeum of Health and Science. “We had outgrown what Central Baptist Church could […]
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217 Italian Week happening Nov. 6-12
Enjoy the new 217 Food Week, celebrating all things Italian, from Nov. 6-12. Sample featured dishes at Bella Milano, Curve Inn, Legacy Pointe Eatery, Main Gate Bar & Grill and Razzo’s Family Pizzeria. This food week allows restaurants the opportunity to set their own dish price, which range from $9-$14. Some locations offer to-go orders, […]
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The Railyard opens
The Railyard, an outdoor food venue based around shipping containers, opened Nov. 3, two years after plans were announced to bring the unique concept to Springfield. The property at 2442 S. Sixth St. is just north of the newly constructed overpass on South Sixth Street, part of the Springfield Rail Improvements Projects. Four shipping containers […]
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Mercury opens office in downtown Springfield
Mercury, a global, bipartisan public strategy firm, is opening an office in downtown Springfield at 235 S. Sixth St. The office at the northwest corner of Sixth and Monroe streets is the second Illinois location for the firm, which recently opened a Chicago branch office. Former Congresswoman Cheri Bustos, who was born and raised in […]
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New Hyundai dealership to open Nov. 1
Green Family Stores will open the doors of its new Hyundai dealership Nov. 1. The 30,000-square-foot facility at 601 W. Stanford Ave. broke ground in May 2022. The new store is intended to be more centrally located, while the current Hyundai facility at 1200 S. Dirksen Parkway will remain open as a dealership for used […]
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Bloom Wine Bar & Florals opening downtown Nov. 18
Bloom Wine Bar & Florals will be opening Nov. 18 at 2 S. Old State Capitol Plaza offering wine, craft cocktails and beer along with floral services and a space for private events. Brittney Robinson, Hannah Goss and Caitlin Becker are the three ladies behind the new venture. “We became friends eight or nine […]
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Perspectives Art Gallery to open in Petersburg
Perspectives Art Gallery, a fine art gallery space that features both local and national artists, opens its doors Nov. 11 in Petersburg. Located on the eastern side of the town square at 112 S. Sixth St., Perspectives Art Gallery will showcase an eclectic mix of talent, featuring the works of nationally and locally-renowned artists including […]
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Springfield Clinic to open new laboratory building
Springfield Clinic’s downtown drive-up lab is relocating to a new facility at 1351 S. Eighth St. starting Monday, Oct. 30, at 7 a.m. The drive-up lab’s current location will close on Friday, Oct. 27, at noon and remain closed Saturday to facilitate the move to the new location. The new 25,000-square-foot medical laboratory is on […]
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Mel-O-Cream reopening in Fairhills Mall
Mel-O-Cream is returning to Fairhills Mall as of Thursday, Oct. 26. Mel-O-Cream had operated a retail store at that location since 1975, but closed at the end of May due to a lack of air conditioning. Owner Amanda Crossland told SBJ at the time, “Over the last year we have been trying to work with […]