William Bishop helps minorities get started in the construction industry By Carey Smith “Believe. Strive. Achieve.” William Bishop IV’s motto has taken him from his roots on Springfield’s east side to where he is today: CEO of Solid Ground Solutions, Inc. A Springfield native, Bishop graduated from Lanphier High School before earning his bachelor’s degree […]
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Many downtown redevelopment projects in the works
There is plenty of vacant, multistory space available in Springfield’s downtown and a program that utilizes tax increment financing (TIF) to reimburse owners for a portion of the cost to acquire property, stabilize buildings, redesign and renovate interiors and upgrade exteriors. But developers are experiencing a shortage of contractors available to undertake small and midsize […]
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Notable new construction and remodeling projects
By Catherine O’Connor Hindu temples bring imported spiritual design A new home for The Hindu Temple of Greater Springfield has been erected at 1001 W. Walnut St. in Chatham. An architect from Vastu Consultants in Chennai, India, worked with Rangwala Architects from St. Louis to design and build the concrete Fox Blocks pre-cast building that […]
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Springfield Rail Improvements Project progresses
Businesses between Carpenter Street and Ridgely Avenue will be affected By Carey Smith Land acquisition is steadily moving northward for the Springfield Rail Improvements Project, with a stretch of land between Carpenter Street and Ridgely Avenue being the current focus. While other segments of the 10th Street corridor have focused on widening tracks and creating […]
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Q&A with Paul O’Shea
By David Blanchette Paul O’Shea is a Springfield native who has left his mark on his hometown through a variety of historic preservation projects and extensive community involvement. After graduating from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a degree in architecture, he returned to Springfield and was involved in the reconstruction of the Old State Capitol. […]
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Investing trends:
A modern day wild, wild west By Holly A. Whisler In order to understand today’s markets, it is necessary to take a step back and look at the big picture, the trends and stages, explained Michael Lansden, first vice president of investments and branch manager for the Stifel office in Jacksonville. He said the stock […]
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Flush with cash, banks look to make more loans
By Carey Smith The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have been felt in every aspect of our lives, and the banking world is no exception. As with every person and every business, adaptation has been the key to success in weathering the upset of normality. As a response to the uncertainty caused by onset of […]
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Conn’s Hospitality Group purchases Vinegar Hill Mall complex
Conn’s Hospitality Group announced in a press release issued Oct. 22 that the group has purchased the Vinegar Hill Mall, the Baur’s Building and the Dewitt Wickliffe Smith Mansion located on Cook Street between Second Street and Spring Street in Springfield. The nearly three-acre site is located just south of the Capitol complex in downtown […]
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OUT on Adams holding a grand opening
OUT on Adams, a new resource center and retail space operated by the Phoenix Center, is holding a grand opening on Saturday, Oct. 23 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. The new space is located at 213 East Adams St., between Café Moxo and The Elf Shelf Music and Records. Some of the resources available will be […]
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The Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance launches new public job search tool
The Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance (SSGA) is unveiling several new web-based tools it has developed to assist businesses in retaining top talent and helping those searching for employment find the right opportunities. The new features, which can be found on SSGA’s website at thriveinspi.org/work/, include a public job search tool called Find A Job with […]
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We have a plan – now what?
By Steven Simpson-Black Springfield is just OK at urban planning. We still do planning like the 1990s, leaving out some pretty important aspects in our comprehensive planning process. We don’t really plan for transit or bicycling, and infill planning is sparse. Still, the most recent Springfield 2037 Comprehensive Plan does talk about transit and calls […]
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Illinois announces first $24 million in Back to Business grants
By Peter Hancock, Capitol News Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration on Thursday announced the awarding of the first $24 million in “Back to Business” grants, a program funded with federal relief aid to help businesses recover and reopen from the pandemic. The announcement took place at a Mexican restaurant in the Little Village neighborhood of […]