Springfield hotels are coming off of a record-setting year, according to Scott Dahl, director of Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau. He said 2023 hotel revenue was higher than any other year in the past two decades, due to a combination of occupancy performance and higher average daily rates. While the first quarter of 2024 hasn’t […]
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High expectations
The small-scale, $8 million marijuana cultivation center expected to open in June on Springfield’s northeast side would be the largest site of its kind in the state, and perhaps the nation, to produce beverages infused with cannabis and hemp oil. So says Christopher Stone, a Springfield-based cannabis entrepreneur and managing partner of CoPack Industries, 3451 […]
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U.S. Postal Service delays decision
While delays within the U.S. Postal Service are not usually applauded, one made this month by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy was celebrated in Springfield. The Postal Service has chosen to pause until January moving some functions of Springfield’s packaging and distribution center to St. Louis. This is part of a national endeavor to consolidate processing […]
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Lawsuits for Lincoln Tower Apartments
Structural problems have festered for years at Springfield’s tallest apartment building, but court action to fix at least one of the issues at Lincoln Tower Apartments could be coming in the next few months. The situation – including an inadequate number of working elevators and the city-mandated closure of the deteriorating underground parking garage – […]
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Best Places to Work to be held May 23
Springfield Business Journal and United Community Bank invite the business community to attend this year’s Best Places to Work reception and awards ceremony on Thursday, May 23. The event will be held from 5:30-7 p.m. at United Community Bank, 1900 W. Iles Ave. There is no cost to attend, thanks to the sponsorship of UCB. […]
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Airport seeks rezoning to facilitate future redevelopment
Residents of the Val-E-Vue subdivision near Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport say they are relieved the airport altered a plan to change about 92 acres from residential to industrial zoning. The proposed rezoning for the land, which acts as a buffer between the subdivision to the south and the developed part of the airport, “could potentially […]
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A backlog of licensing applications
Back in April, the executive director of the American Nurses Association Illinois, Susan Swart, told my associate Isabel Miller that advanced practice registered nurses are losing their jobs because of ongoing and severe state licensing delays. Swart said some of those nurses are waiting “a year to 18 months” to get their licenses from the […]
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Nominate a young professional for Forty Under 40
Do you know an outstanding young professional who deserves to be recognized? The July issue of Springfield Business Journal will feature 40 leaders who are under the age of 40. Nominees must reside and/or work in Sangamon or Morgan County. The selectees’ career paths, educational background and community affiliations are varied. You can expect to […]
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Renovations, repairs ramping up at state fairgrounds
Construction crews and Illinois State Fair staff are working hard to finish up renovations to the grounds as the countdown to the 2024 fair continues. The Illinois State Fair hosts a plethora of construction projects, including phase two renovations to the Illinois State Fair Coliseum and restoration to the Multi-Purpose Arena. “Spring means construction here […]
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A state tax on services?
Gov. JB Pritzker unexpectedly moved away last week from his long-standing opposition to taxing services, saying he didn’t want to start taking ideas off the table as lawmakers search for ways to fund and reform the Chicago region’s mass transit system. A major business group predictably pushed back. As you may know, Chicagoland’s mass transit […]
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217 Taco, Nacho & Margarita Week continues through May 5
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo for a whole week, April 29-May 5, and explore the amazing taco and nacho dishes area chefs have created at these participating restaurants. Many locations will also offer signature Tequila Herradura or el Jimador margaritas. Find more details at 217FoodWeek.com and download your 217 Taco, Nacho & Margarita Week passport to […]
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State to enforce law aimed at ending lending discrimination
In 1977, then-President Jimmy Carter signed into law the Community Reinvestment Act, a federal law that sought to wipe away the last vestiges of racial discrimination and redlining in America’s home mortgage industry. The idea was simple. By requiring lenders – primarily banks – to make credit available in all parts of the communities they […]