Springfield airport partners with ION for new concession options
Springfield’s Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport has a new amenity to offer travelers thanks to a partnership with ION, an Illinois-based company that provides concessions to regional airports. “Our vision is to elevate the airport’s concession and service offerings, ensuring an electrifying experience for travelers,” said Phil Rowell, CEO of ION. Rowell said he “traveled through…
LLCC to host informational sessions for workforce programs
Lincoln Land Community College will host information sessions for students interested in the college’s high-demand workforce programs including commercial electrical and industrial maintenance, construction occupations, diesel technologies, hospitality management and culinary arts and welding. All sessions will be held at the Workforce Careers Center on the LLCC campus, 5250 Shepherd Rd., Springfield. Each information session…
Ashley Furniture Outlet closing
Ashley Furniture Outlet opened in April 2021, replacing the Barney’s Furniture location at 1987 W. Wabash Ave, but owner Barry Seidman said he is now making changes to the business model and listing the building for sale. “We made a decision to close our outlet store,” Seidman said. “The outlet was a newer concept for…
Hemp growers push back against proposed new regulations
A legislative committee and the Illinois Department of Agriculture agreed recently to delay finalizing new regulations governing hemp production amid an outcry of protests from small, independent producers. Those proposed rules have been in development for at least two years. But the most recent draft, submitted in September, contained significant changes from earlier versions that…
B’s Creative Studio relocating to larger space
B’s Creative Studio is on the move for the second time since the business launched in 2022. “We have just continued to grow,” said owner Brandy Fletcher. “The first location was our trial run, and the second one gave us our bigger classroom and boutique. But now we’re needing more space.” The business initially opened…
Coffee shop planned for former Recycled Records building
Arrowroot Coffee Co. has been in business for five years but will soon have its first brick-and-mortar retail location. Owner Jacob Dinardo said he is purchasing the building at 625 E. Adams St. that previously housed Recycled Records. “I jumped at the opportunity to have that building; the old Recycled Records space really meant a…
Building at Fourth and Adams could get $3 million makeover
Martin and Laurie Haxel keep increasing their footprint in downtown Springfield. The couple started with 310 E. Adams St., which houses offices for their own businesses, Haxel Law and Haxel Consulting, but over the past five years they have acquired four adjacent properties. Now, they are hoping the Springfield City Council will approve a TIF…
Three Twigs & Co. closing current location
Three Twigs Bakery has operated out of several locations over the past 10 years, and in 2022 owners Tim and Emily Lewis combined it with Biscuits + Brunch and The Salted Lemon – Market & Creamery so that all three businesses were operating under one roof as Three Twigs & Co. But now the location…
New look for Town and Country Shopping Center
The Town and Country Shopping Center on MacArthur Boulevard may be on the brink of being transformed into an upscale apartment complex and retail area. The Springfield Planning and Zoning Commission is slated to consider the proposed transformation of the strip mall in the 2300 to 2500 blocks of MacArthur Boulevard on Nov. 20. The…
Two new hires for Security Bank
Chris Lawrence and Kemper Younkin have joined Security Bank, Lawrence as the branch manager for the Stevenson Drive branch and Younkin as the assistant branch manager for the Chatham Road branch. Lawrence most recently worked as a loan officer for Alliance Community Bank. He has also worked as a mortgage originator for Regions Bank and…
Judge dismisses biometric data privacy lawsuit
A clarification to Illinois’ biometric data privacy law made by state lawmakers earlier this year limits the size of damages that can be claimed in lawsuits over Biometric Information Privacy Act violations, a federal judge ruled last week. It’s an early indication that the courts are willing to apply a recent amendment to the biometric privacy…
New restaurant to open in former Sweet Basil Café space
Sweet Basil Café closed suddenly in August, but the former restaurant in Prairie Crossing won’t remain vacant for much longer. A mother-daughter team plans to launch Harvest Kitchen and Bar, serving American classics with a twist, at 4241 Conestoga Drive. “We’ll have classics like pancakes, eggs and sandwiches, but we want the dishes to be…
New life for Poplar Place
Tameika Thurman says she has enjoyed living in Poplar Place the past five months with her 11-year-old daughter and their dog, Coco. “It’s peaceful. I don’t have any problems,” said Thurman, 27, a single mother and Lyft driver who was born and raised in Chicago and moved to Springfield a year ago. The lack of…
Midwest-Family to sell Springfield radio stations
Woodward Communications, Inc. has entered into an agreement to acquire four radio stations from Mid-West Family that serve the Springfield marketplace: WNNS-FM, WQLZ-FM, WMAY-FM and WMAY-AM. WCI previously acquired four radio stations from Neuhoff Media that also serve the Springfield area WXAJ-FM, WFMB-FM, WCVS-FM and WFMB-AM. That transaction was completed Oct. 1. Related “We are excited…
Joan Bartolon receives First Citizen Award
The First Citizen Award committee has selected Joan Bortolon as the 62nd recipient of the Springfield area’s prestigious First Citizen Award. As board president of the Land of Lincoln Honor Flight, Bortolon has played an instrumental role in honoring local veterans by providing them with memorable, no-cost trips to Washington, D.C., to visit the memorials…
Wingstop to open second Springfield location
Wingstop has a second Springfield location in the works, this time on the north end. A building permit has been filed with the city of Springfield for a tenant build out at 2724 N. Dirksen Parkway. There is a vacant 1,525-square-foot suite in the shopping center in front of Wal-Mart that includes Starbucks, Great Clips and…
Adams Family Fire fund issues final payments
Residents, businesses and an art/history endeavor affected by the June fire at 613 E Adams in downtown Springfield have received checks from the INB Benefit for the Businesses Affected by the Adams Family Fire fund. Through this fund, the community raised nearly $30,000 to support those people and entities impacted by the fire. Donations came…
Flooring of Springfield relocates, expands
Flooring of Springfield has expanded its operations and consolidated the business into one location at 510 Bruns Lane. “We needed a bigger location; we’re busier than we’ve ever been,” said owner Jagdish Singh. The flooring business, which began in 2008, initially had its retail showroom at 2205 Wabash Ave. and a warehouse at Jefferson Street…
The Flower Factor opens in Springfield
Hank Cronister’s floral experience ranges from doing arrangements for royal weddings to running a flower shop in the rural town of Pittsfield, and he has now opened The Flower Factor at 401 South Grand Ave. “I’ve been in the floral industry for the past 25 years,” Cronister said. “For many years I did this part-time;…
Building permits – Nov. 4 – Nov. 10
ILCARRICOSIX LLC received a commercial remodel permit for 2430 N. Dirksen Parkway. Contractor is Richards Construction and the value of the project is $500,000. The Plaza on White Oaks LLC % The Real Estate Group received a commercial remodel permit for 2937 West White Oaks Drive. Contractor is O’Shea Builders and the value of the…
Myers Building to go up for auction
The iconic Myers Building in downtown Springfield, which has been in the same family for three generations, could soon have a new owner. “It is going up for auction,” said Michael Myers, a retired Springfield attorney who is one of the 15 family members who have partial ownership of the building. The commercial real estate…
Café Moxo to reopen, but not downtown
As recently as a couple of months ago, owner Mark Forinash was still hoping to be able to reopen Café Moxo in its original location. In an Aug. 29 Illinois Times article, Forinash said his goal was to be back open at 411 E. Adams by the end of the year. The restaurant operated there…
Building permits – Oct. 28 – Nov. 3
White Oaks Plaza LLC % Simon Property Group received a commercial remodel permit for 2801 S. Veterans Parkway. Contractor is MDS Builders Inc. and the project is valued at $240,000. D.E.R. JR LLC received a commercial remodel permit for 1617 Jefferson St. Contractor is Joyner Construction Services and the project is valued at $55,000. Spring…
Democrats seek to “Trump-proof” some state statutes
Back in 2018, about midway through President Donald Trump’s first term, the Illinois Senate passed a bill that was designed to prevent “the weakening of Illinois environmental and labor regulations in response to a weakening of federal regulations,” according to an Illinois Environmental Council press release. Some state rules are tied directly to federal rules,…
New owner discusses plans for Gabatoni’s reopening, menu
The meatloaf helped make a match. William “Bill” Pope said he was not a customer of Gabatoni’s, but got to know the owner, Rosalie Beck, because she came into his restaurant, Charlie Parker’s Diner, on a regular basis. “She was here every Wednesday and got meatloaf to take home with her,” Pope said. “I found…
Best Life Counseling Services is expanding
Melanie Jesse opened Best Life Counseling Services in 2019, and the business is now in the midst of a significant expansion for both its staff and space. “In 2020, right after things opened back up, Melissa McCulloch, my good friend who I had worked with off and on for many years, joined the practice,” said…
Unions lead the way on funding state elections in Illinois
This year in Illinois, there are no statewide elections. There are no fights over a Supreme Court seat. There are no constitutional amendments. At the Statehouse, more than half of general election races are uncontested. And yet, political campaigns in Illinois raised about $600 million in itemized individual contributions, according to a Capitol News Illinois…
Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology to host Industry Day Event
The Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology (DoIT), Office of Supplier Diversity, has announced its first-ever Industry Day Event. This event will bring together technology industry leaders to showcase their innovative solutions and discuss their expertise in key areas such as improving resident experience, digitization, accelerating cloud adoption, and automation and modular solutions. The Industry…
Building Blocks Preschool to close
After 35 years, Building Blocks Preschool will be closing its doors at the end of the year. Owner Devi Harper said the business never fully recovered from the pandemic-related shutdowns and the teacher shortage that followed. “If you’ve watched the national news, you’ve heard the price of day care is going up and it’s getting…
GeekGirl Technologies opens on South Grand Avenue
Shelly Roby founded her computer repair business in 1991 but opened her first brick-and-mortar location earlier this month at 426 South Grand Ave. “I’ve been doing this since I was in high school,” said Roby. “I originally called the business Roby Computer Services and worked out of my house.” Roby said about 12 years ago…
Dumb Records to open second location at White Oaks Mall
Dumb Records is opening a second location in White Oaks Mall on Friday, Nov. 1. Brian Galecki, who co-owns the business with Jeff Black, said Dumber Records, as it will be known, will have the same merchandise as the downtown location but allow the business to expand its events. “Customers can expect more of the same…
Building permits – Oct. 21 – Oct. 28
Wilmarth Renewals LLC received a commercial remodel permit for 916 S. Eighth St. Contractor is JR Hinchey and the project is valued at $20,000. B&D Pope Properties LLC received a commercial remodel permit for 300 E. Laurel St. Contractor is Creasey Construction and the project is valued at $30,000. SDCO Properties LLC TR received a…
Cheri Plummer launches her own insurance agency
After many years of working in the industry, Cheri Plummer has launched her own insurance agency. CLP Insurance Solutions officially opens Nov. 1 at 3050 Montvale Drive, Suite C. Plummer most recently worked for Lee/O’Keefe Insurance Agency, specializing in commercial insurance. “It was always in the back of my mind that I wanted to be…
UIS students win $10K in business pitch competition
A group of five University of Illinois Springfield students won $10,000 in seed funding for their startup business, TredBase, during a pitch competition hosted by Innovate Springfield on Oct. 28. The competition featured three entrepreneurial teams pitching innovative ideas. Kayode Ojedele, CEO and co-founder of TredBase, describes it as “a global edtech solution focused on…
Commercial property insurance 101
Commercial property insurance The recent fire on Adams Street downtown has raised some interesting questions about commercial property insurance coverage, especially from a tenant’s perspective. When leasing a commercial space, tenants generally focus on the main terms of the lease, typically the rent and the question of which party bears the expense of maintenance and…
Dean Kroll named HSHS System vice president of facilities
Hospital Sisters Health System has named Dean Kroll HSHS System vice president of facilities, effective Oct. 13. Kroll is currently the HSHS System director of project design and construction and has been serving as interim chief facilities officer since July. In this new role, Kroll is responsible for all HSHS facilities in Illinois and Wisconsin,…
Advocates seek support for drug price control board
A consumer advocacy group continued its push this month to drum up support for legislation to establish a state board to regulate the price of many prescription drugs in Illinois. Citizen Action/Illinois, along with other groups, convened a town hall meeting in Rockford Oct. 8 – the fifth in a series of such meetings the…
Work hard, play hard
I fancy myself a pretty funny person. In my house we don’t tell dad jokes; the punny zingers are usually delivered by mom and are met with exaggerated eye rolls (and for an especially good one, exasperated sighs) by my 12 and 14-year-old sons. I often use humor to lighten a tense mood, ensure others…
A worldwide company that gives back locally
Locally founded Bunn-O-Matic Corporation is a worldwide beverage equipment company, and its coffee makers are commonplace globally. But there’s another aspect to what they dispense, and that’s corporate citizenship. As is stated on BUNN’s website, “At Bunn-O-Matic, being a good corporate citizen is embedded in our primary mission, ‘To act with purpose to make a…
Yummy Bowl
I’ve heard about Yummy Bowl for quite some time but had never visited until now, which was my loss. Most of the comments I heard were about how crowded it is and how much creativity diners used in loading their bowl – but more on that later. My friend and I planned to have lunch…
Q&A with Brian Barstead
Brian Barstead graduated from Illinois State University with a bachelor’s degree in medical technology and biology and initially worked for HSHS St. John’s Hospital in hematology. He met his wife Nancy there, and the couple has now been married 41 years. They reside in Rochester and have one adult son, Alex. After receiving an MBA…
Veteran bankers weigh in on current trends
Lingering inflation, higher-than-desired interest rates and an upcoming election are just a few issues influencing the willingness of consumers to borrow money. On the other side of the coin, bankers are combatting epic proportions of fraud and navigating a commercial lending market that has been shaped by the pandemic. Mark Vance, regional president and senior…
Banking on change
Security Bank of Springfield is seeking approval from the federal government to change its ownership structure so that it is owned by investors rather than by the financial institution’s depositors. A recent bank filing with federal regulators also indicated the financial institution is deeply involved with state-licensed cannabis businesses. Bank president and CEO Stephan Paul…
Rail project receives final piece of federal funding
Construction on the only overpass in Springfield’s rail improvements project is expected to commence in early 2025 after federal officials announced $157 million in final grant funds. The federal allocation, announced by U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Springfield, and by U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Springfield, and Tammy Duckworth, D-Hoffman Estates, also will help pay for construction…
Meeting the financial needs of a multigenerational workforce
A recent survey found that 78% of U.S. employers say their workers are financially stressed, as compared to 71% in 2023. Meanwhile, survey findings also show that employers are continuing to feel the squeeze financially with the increased costs of benefits, worker retention and recruiting. PNC Bank released findings from its second annual Financial Wellness…
Three businesses receive $20,000 awards from Isringhausen DRIVE Grant
Isringhausen Imports has announced the recipients of the 2024 Isringhausen DRIVE Grant, a program designed to support local entrepreneurs in establishing their businesses within downtown Springfield. This year, $20,000 grants have been awarded to three local business owners: Jacob Dinardo of Arrowroot Coffee, Kimsimone Manning of A Taste of Seoul and Alli Donaldson of Golden Hour…
Accounting firm closing after more than a century
The accounting firm of Estes, Bridgewater & Ogden has been in business since 1918, but the current partners are getting ready to go their separate ways. “It’s a culmination of a lot of things, but lack of staffing is the biggest piece of it,” said partner Lori Milosevich. “Public accounting has taken a hit over…
Makers on the Move
“People may have no idea what’s made right in their backyard,” said Sarah Hartwick, vice president of education and workforce policy at the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “The purpose of the Makers on the Move bus tour is to bring awareness and celebrate modern manufacturing in Illinois – the incredible products that are made and careers…
Building permits – Nov. 11 – Nov. 17
Henson Robinson Co. received a commercial accessory structure permit for 3550 Great Northern Drive. Contractor is CAD Construction and the project is valued at $250,000. White Oaks Plaza LLC % Simon Property Group received a commercial remodel permit for 2801 S. Veterans Parkway. Contractor is Tower Commercial Construction and the project is valued at $200,000.…
Building permits – Nov. 18 – Nov. 24
Franchise Realty Investment TR % Joseph P. Kasprzyk received a commercial remodel permit for 3035 Chatham Road. Contractor is Earll Construction Co. and the project is valued at $200,000. Islamic Society of Greater Springfield received a commercial remodel permit for 3252 Mathers Road. Contractor is the Islamic Society of Greater Springfield and the project is…
