Garren Burton joins Prairie Eye and LASIK Center and Prairie Spa
Garren Burton is the new director of operations and practice administrator at Prairie Eye and LASIK Center and Prairie Spa. He will be based out of the main office in Springfield, overseeing all 10 offices throughout central Illinois. Most recently, Burton served as the senior practice manager for The LASIK Vision Institute in Austin, Texas,…
Building permit roundup – June 10 – June 16
By Stacie Lewis Read which building permits were approved by the City of Springfield between June 10 and June 16, 2019. 605-615, LLC obtained a commercial remodel permit for 605 W. Jefferson St. The contractor is R. D. Lawrence Co., Ltd. and the project is valued at $87,500. Herman Miller and Trevor Miller obtained a…
Dunkin’ Donuts is set to open
It’s been several years in the making, but the Dunkin’ Donuts at 2730 S. Sixth St. is finally preparing to open. In April 2017, SBJ reported that Nick Bhatt, owner of the existing Dunkin’ Donuts franchise at 102 Chatham Rd. in Springfield, was seeking approval to develop an outlot in the Habitat for Humanity parking…
Cindi Hamill joins Todd P. Smith Commercial Real Estate
Cindi Hamill has joined Todd P. Smith Commercial Real Estate as a licensed assistant, working out of the office located at 3000 Professional Dr., Suite 200, in Springfield. “I had an unusual path to get here,” said Hamill. After graduating from the University of Illinois, she worked in sales for a national firm that sold…
Tasty City Seafood & Trio closes, lawsuit filed
Tasty City Seafood & Trio has closed after less than a year in business. The restaurant opened at 4233 W. Wabash in September 2018, although a “coming soon” sign had been posted months earlier. “It was tough out there. That location wasn’t working for us,” said the owner, Leroy Singleton. He said the restaurant had…
Advanced Medical Transport to acquire Medics First
Peoria-based Advanced Medical Transport of Central Illinois (AMT) has announced plans to acquire Springfield-based Medics First Mobile Intensive Care and expects the transfer of ownership to occur later this summer. Medics First, headquartered at 1600 Taylor Ave. in Springfield, was founded in 2008 by Larry Daugherty, Tracy Daugherty, Mike Dozier and Mark Ballinger. The company…
New restaurants to open
Two new restaurants are preparing to open in the 200 block of South Fifth St. in downtown Springfield. In April, SBJ reported that Tacology 101 was closing its second location at 210 S. Fifth St., next to Floyd’s Thirst Parlor, which was previously occupied by the sushi restaurant Stop and Roll. The space will now reopen…
Illinois State Museum director appointed
Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko has been appointed director of the Illinois State Museum by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). The appointment is the result of a nationwide search by a special committee of the State Museum board. “We’re extremely excited to have Cinnamon on board as the new director of the Illinois State Museum,” said…
Momentum on Main Street workshop
Downtown Springfield, Inc. is holding a workshop on Wednesday, June 26 entitled “Momentum on Main Street: What to Know Before You Buy” from 4-5:30 p.m. at The Incubator, 11 W. Old State Capitol Plaza. Have you thought about purchasing a downtown building or investing in a downtown property? In this how-to session produced by DSI’s…
Building permit roundup – June 3 – June 9
BY STACIE LEWIS Strategic Lincoln LLC in care of Strategic Properties of NA obtained a commercial accessory structure permit for 520 S. Second St. Vertical Limit is the contractor and the project is valued at $15,000. 4590 Industrial Dr., Inc. obtained a commercial accessory structure permit for 4596 S. Industrial Ave. AMF Electrical Contractor…
Plans change for CoCo Pies, Innkeepers Café
Fans of CoCo Pies are still waiting for another opportunity to purchase the decadent desserts in Springfield, and while owner Connie DiCenso recently moved out of state, she says she hopes to bring her pies back to the capital city even if she’s not living here. Last October, DiCenso closed Café Coco, a restaurant she…
A new café with a past
Tony Leone’s Innkeepers Café opens in January By Cinda Ackerman Klickna In the midst of parking lots along Madison Street, across from the Department of Revenue Willard Ice Building, sits a home built in 1918 by Italian immigrant Peter Leone. It has now been transformed into a coffee shop scheduled to open in early 2019.…
Annual Small Business Awards
The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce’s annual Small Business Awards will be held on Tuesday, June 18 from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza Springfield. The awards program recognizes area small business owners for their outstanding achievements in five different categories: a nonprofit business director; a new and emerging business owner; small business owner…
All Star Kutz moves to new location
All Star Kutz, a basketball-themed barbershop currently located on the lower level of White Oaks Mall, is moving to a new location. Saturday, June 8 will be the first day of business at 2504 S. MacArthur Blvd. in Springfield. All Star Kutz will occupy a 4,000 square foot suite adjacent to Ace Bicycle Shop that…
GoWeb1 hires Amanda Zoschke
Amanda Zoschke has joined GoWeb1, located at 400 S. Grand Ave. in Springfield, as a graphic designer. Owner Mark Roberts said, “Amanda’s creative and technical skills are the perfect addition to GoWeb1 as we continue to set ourselves apart with creating first-in-class websites, social media content, logos, photography and a full array of branding assets…
Teen is new owner of Paris Cleaners
After 110 years, a longtime family-owned business in Springfield has transitioned to a new family. In 1909, Carl David Franke and his brother, Franz Franke, opened Paris City Cleaners and Furriers. The business eventually become known as Paris Cleaners but remained in the family for four generations. Bette Franke, 96, married into the family business…
Tacology 101 reopens after minor fire
Tacology 101, located at 219 S. Fifth St. in downtown Springfield, will reopen today after a minor fire Monday afternoon. Owner James Hamilton said that there was no damage to the interior of the restaurant, “just a mess outside we had to clean up.” Firefighters out on another call around 4:30 p.m. Monday noticed smoke…
Read which building permits were approved by the City of Springfield between May 27 and June 2, 2019.
Building permit roundup – May 27 – June 2 BY STACIE LEWIS Goeckner, Inc. obtained a commercial building permit for an addition to Car Wash City at 3316 Robbins Rd. The contractor is Bob Goeckner and the project is valued at $130,000. Springfield Clinic, LLP obtained a commercial remodel permit for a $642,000 renovation on…
Keeping kids and families safe
BY JANET SEITZ Shortages of care and agencies to protect children from abuse and neglect have made for plenty of recent headlines. “As we seem to keep hearing about struggles in our DCFS system every week,” said Beth Yockey, a volunteer with Safe Families for Children, a nonprofit national network of local chapters, “I think…
Made in America
Tariffs and staffing are two major challenges for area manufacturers Article and photos by DAVID BLANCHETTE From diodes to doughnuts, manufacturers in the Springfield area make many different things and supply steady employment. They are established, often multi-generational members of the communities in which they are located. But manufacturers are also part of a volatile…
Robbie’s closes temporarily due to damage
Jazz lovers will have to find something else to do this Friday night, as Robbie’s Restaurant has closed temporarily due to water damage. The restaurant, located at 4 Old State Capitol Plaza in Springfield, is known for hosting live music each week in addition to serving lunch and dinner. Owner Arch Bailey said the storms…
The Rock Shop is closing
After 35 years in business, The Rock Shop is closing June 30. Owner Todd Rushing also operates a second business, Full Throttle T Shirt Co., out of the location at 1808 W. Jefferson in Springfield. “We’re going to shutter the music store and continue with the screen printing and embroidery,” Rushing stated, although he said…
Chris Smith joins Land of Lincoln Credit Union
Chris Smith has joined the Land of Lincoln Credit Union as a senior vice president and chief compliance officer. Prior to assuming his new role, Smith was vice president of internal audit, loan review and compliance officer at SCB Bancorp in Decatur. He has worked in the financial industry for more than 10 years, including…
MacArthur redevelopment project on hold
Developer Eric Hoogland has tabled plans for a major redevelopment project on MacArthur Blvd., although Ward 7 Alderman Joe McMenamin says it may still happen in the future. CEHOG, LLC, an entity controlled by the Hoogland family, was under contract to purchase more than one-and-a-half acres of land at the corner of MacArthur Boulevard and…
Read which building permits were approved by the City of Springfield between May 20 and May 26, 2019.
Building permit roundup – May 20 – May 26 BY STACIE LEWIS SCI Illinois Services, Inc. obtained a commercial roofing permit for 2931 S. Koke Mill Rd. The contractor is Jacksonville Insulation and Construction, Inc. and the project is valued at $8,230.00. Fresh Visions Community Church obtained a commercial remodel permit for a new parking…
Bill Pongracz joins Hanson Professional Services
Bill Pongracz, P.E., recently joined Hanson Professional Services Inc.’s Springfield headquarters as a construction and asset management practice lead. He will oversee the coordination of employees who provide owner representation, surveying and data collection, construction observation, property management and asset management services. “I’ll make sure people are in the right places and make sure they…
Decatur Memorial Hospital joining Memorial Health System
Decatur Memorial Hospital will become the second largest hospital in the Springfield-based Memorial Health System, pending regulatory approval. The boards of both nonprofit healthcare organizations reached an affiliation agreement in late April, with full affiliation set to occur on Oct. 1, 2019. “Remaining on the leading edge of health and patient care is critical to…
J. Jill coming to Springfield
J.Jill, a national retailer for women’s clothing, shoes and accessories, is preparing to open its first Springfield location. The store will be located at 2916-2920 Plaza Dr. in The Gables. The spaces formerly occupied by Tobin Jewelers and Gypsy Tribe are now being combined into one suite and construction is “very much underway,” according to…
Mark Nelson joins ReMax Professionals
Mark Nelson has joined ReMax Professionals as a real estate agent specializing in commercial properties. “I wanted to work for myself, pursue a lot of the passion projects I’ve been wanting to do for a long time, and get out of the corporate life,” Nelson said of his decision to become involved in commercial real…
Upcoming DSI, Inc. workshop
Downtown Springfield, Inc. is holding a workshop on Wednesday, May 29 entitled “Permits and city hall – Who you need to know and where you need to go.” From 12-1 p.m. at Lincoln Library, a variety of city staffers will explain how to work with the Building and Zoning department, the process for applying for…
Upcoming Citizens Club of Springfield policy breakfast on economic development
The Citizens Club of Springfield is hosting a policy breakfast on economic development on Friday, May 24 at 8 a.m. at the Hoogland Center for the Arts. The guest speaker will be Eric Berglund, president and CEO of The Land of Lincoln Economic Development Corporation. LLEDC is a new public/private partnership focused on economic development…
Read which building permits were approved by the City of Springfield between May 13 and May 19, 2019.
Building permit roundup – May 13 – May 19 BY STACIE LEWIS West Side Christian Church obtained a commercial addition permit for 2850 W. Cider Mill Ln. O’Shea Builders is the contractor and the project is valued at $7,000,000. Friedman Real Estate obtained a commercial construction permit for 2571 Koke Mill Rd. Joyner Construction Services…
Capital City Bar and Grill closing to make way for a new tenant
Capital City Bar and Grill will be closing in June to make way for a new tenant in the Capital City Shopping Center on S. Dirksen Pkwy. Owner Al Houser said, “I have to be out by the end of June, but it will probably be more like three weeks. We’re trying to run down…
