Marc Camp joins Barcom Security
Marc Camp is the new central Illinois business development manager for Barcom Security, a Swansea-based company that is expanding its reach. The company provides residential, small business, commercial and enterprise security systems “Barcom Security was founded back in 1976, so they’ve been around for a while. It’s still family owned and operated,” said Camp. “They’ve…
Building permit roundup – Nov. 9-Nov. 15
John Link, trustee of the JRL Trust obtained a commercial remodel permit for a non-structural interior demo at 1905 W. Montana Drive. The contractor is Tindall Construction, Inc. and the project is valued at $16,424. Illinois Municipal League Building Corp. obtained a commercial accessory permit for a rooftop solar panel at 500 E. Capitol Ave.…
Four restaurants ordered closed temporarily for violating COVID-19 mitigations
By Sarah Mansur, Capitol News Illinois Four restaurants in Sangamon County that continued to offer indoor dining in defiance of Gov. JB Pritzker’s COVID-19 mitigation plan were ordered to shut down temporarily Tuesday. The order from a Sangamon County judge states that the four restaurants — Charlie Parker’s Diner, D&J Cafe, Sweet Basil Cafe and…
Kim Dixon seeking buyer for The Wardrobe
Kim Dixon, owner of The Wardrobe, has decided to try retirement again. Three years ago, she announced that she had sold her building at South Grand and MacArthur to Michelle Tjelmeland, owner of District 23, and planned to wind down operations in January 2018. The Wardrobe, a women’s clothing and accessories boutique, first opened on…
Adams Pest Control buys former Springfield Archery Building
After more than a decade on MacArthur Boulevard, Adams Pest Control is preparing to relocate to a larger space. Owner Sonny Adams says he explored numerous options before purchasing the building at 1550 Recreation Dr., next to Knight’s Action Park. Adams rents his current space at 1425 S. MacArthur Blvd. and talked to the owner…
City of Springfield launches Small Business Assistance Grant program
The City of Springfield will begin accepting online applications for a newly created Small Business Assistance Grant program beginning on Monday, Nov. 16 at 8:30 a.m. and continuing through Nov. 30 at 5 p.m. Eligible small businesses can receive a one-time grant of $5,000 for reimbursement of business expenses incurred from March 17-Dec. 31, 2020.…
Restaurant loses appeal over COVID-19 restrictions
FoxFire Restaurant will appeal decision to state Supreme Court. By Sarah Mansur, Capitol News Illinois An appeals court has handed down a favorable ruling to Gov. JB Pritzker in a legal challenge to his administration’s restrictions on bars and restaurants to curb the spread of COVID-19. The 2nd District Appellate Court overruled a Kane County judge’s…
Building permit roundup – Nov. 2-Nov. 8
Midwest Real Estate Acquisition Group, LLC obtained a commercial remodel permit for an interior demolition at 521 S. 11th St. Michael Hoyle is the contractor and the project is valued at $3,500. North Grand the Building Partnership obtained a commercial remodel permit for 121 North Grand Ave. West. O’Shea Builders is the contractor and the…
Shabby Shack moves to west side location
Shabby Shack, a boutique for home décor, painted furniture and jewelry, has relocated to 2621 W. White Oaks Dr. in Springfield as of Nov. 3. Owners Greg and Roxanne Herr originally opened the business in 2015 at 449 N. Walnut Ave. and later expanded into an adjacent building. However, Roxanne said she had been considering…
Portillo’s to open Dec. 8, food truck open now
Following years of speculation about whether Portillo’s would open a location in Springfield, the fast-casual restaurant based in Oak Brook, Illinois, plans to open its 66th location in Springfield on Dec. 8. The brand has existing central Illinois restaurants in Peoria, Champaign and Normal. “We’ve been excited to come here for a long time,” said…
SAA Collective moving to new location downtown
With the Hoogland Center for the Arts still closed for the foreseeable future, the SAA Collective is relocating its gallery to 105 N. Fifth St. in the historic Broadwell Pharmacy building. The Prairie Art Alliance, the precursor to the SAA Collective, was one of the first organizations to join the Hoogland Center for the Arts…
Tackling uncomfortable questions about diversity and inclusion in your communications
Do you want to ensure authenticity in your diversity, inclusion and equity initiatives but aren’t sure how? The Association for Women in Communications is hosting a free Zoom session on Thursday, Nov. 12 at noon entitled, “Tackling uncomfortable questions about diversity and inclusion in your communications.” Our nation’s racial reckoning this summer rivaled even the…
Building permit roundup – Oct. 26-Nov. 1
Bishop Properties, Inc. obtained a commercial remodel permit for 812 S. 11th St. Milliman Construction is the contractor and the project is valued at $17,000. Yellowstone Venture, LLC in care of Samuel D. Nichols obtained a commercial remodel permit for parking lot work at 4525 Wabash Ave. Sam Nichols is the contractor and the project…
INB expands, The Corkscrew relocates
The Corkscrew recently relocated, but customers should have no trouble finding their favorite wine retailer – the business simply moved to a different suite in the same shopping center at the corner of Chatham Road and Iles Avenue. David Anderson, who co-owns the business with his wife, Danielle, said the move was prompted by INB,…
Vele to open in new west side location on Nov. 4
Vele is opening its new location on the west side of Springfield on Wednesday, Nov. 4 as planned, despite additional mitigation orders from Governor JB Pritzker prohibiting indoor dining. The owners joined a group of nearly two dozen other restaurant owners filing suit in Sangamon County last week seeking relief from the order, which Mayor…
Sweet Basil Cafe opens in Prairie Crossing
Sweet Basil Café opened on Nov. 1 in the former O’Charley’s building in Prairie Crossing. The location at 4241 Conestoga Dr. in Springfield had been vacant since O’Charley’s closed in March 2019. Despite the fact that additional mitigations took effect on Sunday, ending indoor dining and bar service for Region 3, which includes Springfield, Sweet…
Restaurants push back as 10th region placed under mitigation
By Peter Hancock, Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinois restaurant owners are asking Gov. JB Pritzker to rethink the state’s efforts to control the spread of COVID-19 as yet another region was placed under enhanced mitigation measures on Friday. “We want to collaborate with the state of Illinois on a different path, one that addresses the…
Memorial Health System has joined Building Board Diversity as both the first business and the first nonprofit organization.
“Memorial Health System has always believed that high-quality health care should be accessible to everyone. We must establish a culture where everyone’s voice can be heard,” said Mitch Rogers, vice president and chief EDI officer for Memorial Health System. “To that end, the work of Building Board Diversity to increase nonprofit board diversity aligns with…
Low interest rates drive consumer spending – Home and auto sales at record levels, despite unemployment, uncertainty
By Holly Whisler The phrase “these unprecedented times” has been overused this year, yet still rings true. When the Federal Reserve cut interest rates to near zero in March, the area economy responded. Consumer lending – specifically, home and auto loans – gained momentum over the summer months, despite high levels of unemployment and uncertainty…
Dan Kepner has joined the law firm of Brown, Hay & Stephens, effective Nov. 1.
Dan Kepner has joined the law firm of Brown, Hay & Stephens, LLP as an of counsel attorney, effective Nov. 1. Kepner concentrates his practice on the representation of injured parties in personal injury actions. He also maintains a general practice, including civil litigation, family law, real estate, insurance and probate matters, and represents clients…
Vele and Tacology 201 prepare to open new west side locations
Two restaurants that have operated downtown for the past three years, Vele and Tacology 101, are both preparing to transition to new locations on the west side of Springfield. Sept. 26 was the last day of operations at 524 E. Monroe for Vele, a restaurant with a modern coastal Italian menu and trendy vibe that…
2020 15 Under Fifteen
This is the 18th year that Springfield Business Journal has partnered with United Community Bank to recognize 15 outstanding small businesses in the local area. To qualify, a business must be located in Sangamon or Morgan county, have been open for at least two years and have 15 or fewer full-time employees. A business is…
Brunchfield Cafe opens in former Nico’s Homestyle space
Chef Howard Seidel retired at the end of last year after more than four decades in the food service industry, most recently with University of Illinois Springfield. Earlier this month, he opened his own restaurant, Brunchfield Café, at 751 S. Durkin Dr. “I’m considering myself still retired; this is the hobby that you’re supposed to…
Building permit roundup – Oct. 19-Oct. 25
Eid Kattom obtained a commercial remodel permit for work at 100 W. Ash St. The owner is the contractor and the project is valued at $27,500. PFA Real Estate, LLC obtained a commercial remodel permit for 3201 S Pleasant Run. The contractor is Mabus Building and Home Improvements and the project is valued at $100,000.…
Springfield Clinic opens drive-up lab downtown
Taking winter weather into account, Springfield Clinic’s drive-up lab has relocated to the former U.S. Bank building at 701 S. Sixth St., effective Oct. 26. “Springfield Clinic set up drive-up lab services to help reduce the number of times patients would need to enter the buildings for routine lab visits,” Tom Fitch, senior director of…
Springfield Chamber announces Small Business Award winners
The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce hosted the 35th Annual Small Business Awards on Oct. 21 at the Crowne Plaza Springfield Convention Center. The 28 nominees attended the event in person while nearly 200 people viewed the event virtually. The event recognized four outstanding community entrepreneurs in the following categories: Jordan Powell of Illinois Primary…
Funds are still available through the Business Interruption Grant program to assist businesses and nonprofits that have experienced losses due to COVID-19.
The state of Illinois’ Business Interruption Grant (BIG) application remains open as funds are still available to assist businesses and nonprofits that have experienced losses due to COVID-19. The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce is partnering with Aly Grady from the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s (DCEO) Team RED to bring a technical assistance…
Lawmakers probe barriers to Black business development. Access to capital, state contracting cited as significant hurdles.
By PETER HANCOCK, Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com Black-owned businesses in Illinois face significant barriers to growth and opportunities that would enable them to compete with their white-owned counterparts, a problem that many Black leaders say is directly tied to Black unemployment rates and the deterioration of Black neighborhoods. That was the message state lawmakers heard…
Building permit roundup – Oct. 12-Oct. 18
Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War 1861-1865 obtained a commercial building permit for 503 S. Walnut St. The contractor is Michael Von Behren Builder, Inc. and the project is valued at $28,000. Kau Sukhjinder and G. and S. Randhawa, LLC obtained a commercial remodel permit for 2200 South Grand Ave. East. Troy Boy…
Public policy forum to be held on Lincoln Land Energy Center project
The Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance is adding new fuel behind proposed plans for the Lincoln Land Energy Center (LLEC). The development is a proposed 1,090-megawatt natural gas-fueled combined-cycle facility located just south of Pawnee in Sangamon County. A recently updated economic impact study, completed by Northern Illinois University, indicates the project will generate $1.53 billion in…
Hibachi Madness to open in November
In December, Steve Zhao broke ground on a 9,000-square-foot strip center at 4300 W. Wabash Ave. E.P. Boutique opened in August as the first tenant in the new center at Wabash and Meadowbrook, and Zhao is now adding his own restaurant to the mix. Despite the name, Zhao said that Hibachi Madness will be a…
