Plans to demolish the headquarters of Springfield’s public radio station and move the station elsewhere on the University of Illinois Springfield campus will create additional expenses for the financially challenged station but also opportunities. NPR Illinois General Manager Randy Eccles told Illinois Times the move will be a “pretty good result” after UIS officials said […]
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Manufacturing group highlights new UIS degree to support growth in automation
A manufacturing lobbying group made a stop in Springfield to highlight the launch of a new major at University of Illinois Springfield related to the growth in automation. The visit was part of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association’s “Makers on the Move” bus tour that seeks to celebrate October as Manufacturing Month and the growth of […]
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Bus Stop bar back on track after flooding
The grand opening of a new bar at the corner of Fifth and Monroe in downtown Springfield was set for Aug. 28 but had to be scuttled when a water main broke and flooded the entire block of Monroe between Fourth and Fifth streets the night before. Undeterred, the owners of The Bus Stop have […]
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Downtown dilemma in Taylorville
The Taylorville City Council is pushing forward with a planned $5 million renovation project downtown despite organized opposition and fears that disruptions caused by the work could decimate many businesses on the square. The project is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2027. It is to be funded with a $3 million state […]
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Breathing life back into Lincoln
The desire of a Peoria businessman and his wife to live out their Christian faith by helping a central Illinois community in need led to their recent purchase of the shuttered Lincoln College campus for a job-creating lease program. “We want life back on that campus,” John Wieland told Illinois Times in describing the $1 […]
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Nominations open for 64th First Citizen Award
Nominations are open through Oct. 1 for the 64th Springfield Area First Citizen Award, and the recipient will be honored on Wednesday, Nov. 18, at Erin’s Pavilion at Southwind Park. The award recognizes individuals whose extraordinary volunteer service and commitment have made a significant and lasting impact on Springfield and surrounding communities. The Community […]
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Derailed but not deterred
The repercussions from the Aug. 27 water main break along Monroe Street in downtown Springfield continue to be felt as businesses seek to recoup losses and move past the day’s events. The building at the corner of Fifth and Monroe streets received the brunt of the flow of water when a 12-foot section of the […]
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Capitol renovations set to wrap up this winter
Nearly five years after construction crews started moving dirt on the $350 million renovation of the Illinois State Capitol’s north wing, there are finally glimmers of light at the end of the tunnel. The massive project, which included a rehab of the Illinois Senate chamber, construction of a new underground parking garage and conference room […]
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Banking on the BOS Center
Hotel taxes will rise 3% one month from now to pay for a $60 million expansion of Springfield’s publicly owned convention center after a 20-5 vote by the Sangamon County Board on Sept. 1. The bipartisan vote on the Republican-controlled County Board came after arguments from advocates who said the 47-year-old BOS Center, last renovated […]
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Downtown water main break update
City officials said Friday afternoon a faulty pipe may have been the cause of the main water line break that shut down water and electricity for numerous businesses in downtown Springfield on Thursday evening. The city’s water division manager, Todd LaFountain, said he was alerted by the water purification plant around 5:30 p.m. of “some […]
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Water puts damper on downtown businesses
A downtown Springfield business has been forced to postpone its grand opening plans after a water main break flooded the intersection of Fifth and Monroe streets on Thursday evening. This spring, Zac Lowman (who goes by Vinal Luciano) and Troy Minton announced plans to open The Bus Stop, a bar and live music venue, in […]
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$60 million BOS Center expansion backed
Unwilling to wait on the Illinois General Assembly, the Sangamon County Board plans to vote as soon as Sept. 1 to impose a new 3% hotel tax to fund a $60 million expansion of the BOS Center. County officials say they want to act now because state legislation that would create an oversight board – […]