A succession plan has come to fruition at Floyd Imports as Andy Floyd and his father, Eric Floyd, are now running the business together. Brothers David and Eric opened the business in August 1994. David retired last year and Eric plans to transition to part-time in the coming year. Andy started working at the shop while […]
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Tiny houses project faces big hurdles
A nonprofit that wants to build tiny homes on Springfield’s southeast side faces more big hurdles after the Springfield City Council on Feb. 11 unanimously voted to withdraw a resolution to commit funding for the project’s resource center. Ward 2 Ald. Shawn Gregory, who represents the area where the homes would be built, said he […]
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Pritzker proposes $2B in spending growth without new income or service taxes
Gov. JB Pritzker has proposed growing spending by about $2 billion without new income or service taxes in the upcoming fiscal year – though his administration acknowledged policy changes by the Trump administration could drastically alter the fiscal landscape. Spending and revenues would each grow by about 3% under the proposal laid out Wednesday during […]
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City Council OKs east-side housing expansion
Springfield City Council members on Feb. 18 approved $1.5 million in city funding for a 50-home addition to the Nehemiah Expansion affordable-housing project on the east side. The two 10-0 votes – to spend $1 million in federal HOME grant funds and $500,000 in property tax revenues from the Far East Tax-Increment Financing District – […]
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Jacksonville EDC launches second phase of Make My Move campaign
The Jacksonville Regional Economic Development Corporation has launched the second phase of its strategy to bring new residents to Morgan and Scott counties. The campaign, featuring new “live, work and invest” videos, digital advertising and a relocation incentive on MakeMyMove.com, places a targeted focus on recruiting an increased workforce to local businesses in the Jacksonville […]
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Next phase of east-side housing development in jeopardy
A proposal to construct 50 more single-family homes for low-income renters may hinge on whether Springfield City Council members grant an exception to a 2023 ordinance that guarantees union involvement in the hiring and pay of workers on large projects. The proposed fifth phase of home development in the Nehemiah Expansion project would provide desperately […]
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City Council enacts new conflict-of-interest standards
The Springfield City Council voted 8-0 on Feb. 4 to spend about $1.5 million in TIF funds to help a local couple renovate a dilapidated building in the 300 block of East Adams Street. But the Ward 5 representative on the council, Lakeisha Purchase, who has worked with Martin and Laurie Haxel for two years […]
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City of Springfield shuts down 11 massage parlors
Eleven massage parlors in Springfield have been closed down, while another 25 believed to be operating legitimately will be issued local licenses in coming weeks. City officials mandated the closures as part of the much-anticipated rollout of an ordinance passed by the City Council in June 2024 to crack down on massage establishments believed to […]
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Green Toyota breaking ground on $11 million expansion
Green Toyota is planning an $11 million project intended to significantly modernize and expand the Toyota showroom, service area and customer amenities. The groundbreaking for the major expansion and renovation project at 3901 Wabash Ave. will take place at 10 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 3. “We are thrilled to break ground on this state‐of‐the‐art renovation […]
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‘Blatantly unlawful’ federal spending freeze sends state scrambling
State agencies, nonprofit organizations and a host of other entities that rely on federal funding were thrown into chaos Tuesday following the release of a White House memo that froze – at least temporarily – the distribution of all federal grants, loans and other financial assistance programs. Late Tuesday, however, the Associated Press reported that […]
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Q&A With Amy Rasing
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 […]