Amy Rasing joined the city’s Office of Planning and Economic Development in 2023 as a grant manager. In December, Mayor Misty Buscher nominated her as the new director of OPED, and her appointment was confirmed Jan. 7 by the Springfield City Council. She has worked more than 30 years in nonprofit agencies on the local, […]
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Notable building projects in 2025
Within a few blocks of each other, both public and private landowners are doing their part to support community reinvestment, working with architects and contractors to find creative, sensible ways to evolve and age in place. The Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar, Springfield School District 186 and entrepreneurs Court and Karen Conn are […]
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Area bankers predict commercial real estate trends for 2025
The annual meeting of the Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance, held Jan. 23, touted eight notable projects in the area. Highlights included plans for an Amazon distribution center at the intersection of Bissell Road and North Dirksen Parkway, a Frito-Lay warehouse at the south end of town and the Scheels Sports Park at Legacy Pointe that […]
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Business owner arrested in murder-for-hire scheme
A man accused of putting out a $10,000 contract to have a Collinsville woman killed may find it difficult to fulfil his own contract with the city of Springfield – to raze 38 dilapidated houses. Sammy J. Shafer Jr. owns S. Shafer Excavating, a company based in Pontoon Beach that does work throughout the Metro […]
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Businesses and organizations invited to take part in the UIS Career Connections Expo
Businesses and organizations are invited to register for the Career Connections Expo at the University of Illinois Springfield. The Expo will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, March 21, at the Recreation and Athletic Center (TRAC) on the UIS campus. In addition to the Expo, registered employers are invited to participate in […]
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Cannabis College
University of Illinois Springfield combines education and cannabis with Green Flower noncredit certification courses, offering professional development and credentials to people seeking to get into the growing cannabis industry. Partnering with UIS in early 2021, Green Flower, a cannabis education platform and program, has been a driving force for nearly 10 years in bringing science-based […]
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No free rent
Springfield officials recently finalized an agreement with the owner of the Wyndham City Centre hotel in which the hotel will resume paying rent for use of a city-owned parking lot at 700 E. Monroe St. But on a higher-profile issue – whether the Wyndham hotel will be renovated in the near future – Tower Capital […]
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Monster Pawn raids result in multiple charges
A chain of central Illinois pawn shops with two Springfield locations functioned as a criminal enterprise, fencing stolen goods and buying silver bullion to launder the proceeds, the Illinois attorney general alleges. The owners of Monster Pawn and some employees appeared in court Thursday in Sangamon County. Charged were Monster Pawn’s owners, Edwin Pierce, 65, […]
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Olde Towne demolitions on hold
Demolition of several uninhabitable Springfield apartment buildings is on hold despite a local judge giving the green light to raze the structures. The five structures are part of the 23-building Olde Towne apartment complex, located at the corner of Jefferson Street and Bruns Lane. Shortly after a judge ruled in the city’s favor, the financial […]
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Adams Street at a crossroads
In recent years the section of downtown known as the Adams Family has been a vibrant focal point of revitalization efforts. But following a devastating fire over the summer, there are now concerns about demolition plans, failed efforts to showcase spaces in need of renovations and a stalled project that could serve as a catalyst […]
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Hemp regulation bill stalls amid Democratic infighting
A bill that would have imposed regulations on new types of intoxicating substances derived from hemp stalled in the Illinois House Jan. 7, dealing a political setback to Gov. JB Pritzker after he strongly supported the legislation. “I was tremendously disappointed,” Pritzker said at an unrelated news conference Tuesday, after it became clear the bill […]
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Illinois’ minimum wage increases to $15 an hour
The minimum wage in Illinois has increased to $15 an hour as of Jan. 1, completing a six-year transition period since the increase was approved in 2019. Illinois workers making minimum wage will see wages rise by $1 and tipped workers will see their paychecks bump to $9 an hour. Youth workers under 18 who […]