The Springfield City Council passed two ordinances amending existing Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts last night, putting an end to a weeklong debate. The ordinances each passed 9-1, with Ward 7 Ald. Brad Carlson as the dissenting vote in both cases. The two TIFs, which have existed for years in the Madison Park Place and […]
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Innovate Springfield moving to Horace Mann building
University of Illinois Springfield has pivoted from plans to open its new “Innovation Center” in a three-story building downtown and now will rent space for the center three blocks east, on half of the third floor inside Horace Mann Educators Corp.’s headquarters. A rental contract, finalized between UIS and Horace Mann in recent days, will […]
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From learning skills to getting a job
SkillsUSA, a national nonprofit trade organization, is expanding its presence in Illinois thanks to a recent $2 million state budget reauthorization for trades programs. It allows the organization to further bridge the gap between high school education and skilled trade employment. This increase in state funding for programs like the Illinois Works Program and other […]
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Q&A with Monica Zanetti
Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay area, Monica Zanetti moved to Springfield six years ago and quickly made a name for herself in the community. After initially being one of five artists exhibiting at Wild Rose, she bought the downtown art studio and retail shop and now provides space for more than 30 […]
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Illinois Road Contractors celebrates 100 years as a family-owned business
It started in 1925 as a way to keep dust down on country roads. One hundred years later, oil and chip road maintenance is still the core business of Illinois Road Contractors, Inc., based in Jacksonville. Over the last century, IRC has expanded with a terminal on the Illinois River, tarps manufacturing, trucking and transportation […]
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Country Market supporting family-owned producers since 1967
Liz Havens remembers being 5 years old and standing on a milk crate to check out customers at her family’s produce business in Springfield. Now, more than four decades later, some of those same customers are regulars at Country Market, the family-owned grocery store Havens and her brother own and operate on Wabash Avenue. The […]
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A new way to experience culture
The Culture Experience was founded two years ago by the mother-daughter duo of Alice Ivy- Wilson and Haley Williams as an initiative that invites you to connect with others and embark on a journey that demystifies cultural experiences. Earlier this year, TCE entered into a residency contract with the Pasfield House in Springfield, a historic […]
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City Council has a tiff over TIFs
The Springfield City Council engaged in a heated debate Tuesday over grants for Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts. Frustration mounted as supporters of the ordinances questioned why their fellow council members sought further discussion on this initiative but not others, suggesting that it came down to the demographics of those who would benefit from the […]
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Look to modern manufacturing for high-paying, high-impact careers
Look to modern manufacturing for high-paying, high-impact careers Did you know that manufacturing plays a significant role in our local, central Illinois economy? From small- and medium-sized local businesses to national brands employing almost 1,000 people, the effect of these businesses is critical for our area. However, after spending much time talking with these employers, […]
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Route 66
The 100th birthday of Route 66 is Nov. 11, 2026, and the Mother Road has obviously seen better days. Once chock-full of busy, neon-lit motels, gas stations and greasy spoons, good portions of the original 2,448-mile Chicago to Santa Monica, California, route are now tumbleweed ghost towns. But if it’s true that, at some point, […]
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Jerome plans to create TIF district
An average of 25,000 to 27,000 cars drive on Wabash Avenue through Jerome each day, making that stretch of road one of the busiest in the Springfield area. The commercial and retail corridor appears bustling. But side roads and underground utility lines that are undersized and deteriorating, as well an almost total lack of sidewalks […]
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Springfield Chamber announces Small Business Award winners
The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce hosted the 40th Annual Small Business Awards on June 24 at the Crowne Plaza Springfield Convention Center. The event recognized outstanding community entrepreneurs in the following four categories: Not-for-Profit Director of the Year, New & Emerging Business Owner of the Year, Small Business Owner of the Year and Lifetime […]