Bill McGee to close his State Farm office on Oct. 31
Bill McGee will be closing his State Farm office on Oct. 31, nearly 37 years to the day since he started his business. However, becoming an insurance agent was a career change for him. McGee spent 14 years as a teacher before an ongoing teacher’s strike made him reconsider his chosen profession. “I spent a…
Floyd’s Thirst Parlor requests TIF funds for rooftop bar, kitchen expansion
Downtown Springfield may be getting its first rooftop bar as early as next spring. The co-owners of Floyd’s Thirst Parlor, Andrew Denton and Jeremy Bredemeyer, made an appearance before the city of Springfield’s Economic Development Commission on Oct. 19 to request $520,000 in funding from the Central Area TIF toward the total project cost of…
Building permit roundup – Oct. 11-Oct. 17, 2021
Springfield Partners III, LLC obtained a commercial remodel permit for 600 E. Ash St, #300. The contractor is ES Midwest, LLC and the project is valued at $400,000. Butler Arms, LLC obtained a commercial remodel permit for 1824 S. Dial Court. The contractor is Sutton’s Inc. and the project is valued at $11,060. Bishop Properties,…
Jerk Shop Go reopening downtown in new, larger location
Despite opening in March 2020, right before the pandemic devastated the restaurant industry, Jerk Shop Go has already expanded once and now additional growth is in the works. Kadejia Berkley opened the Caribbean restaurant downtown at 213 S. Fifth St. in March of last year, and quickly shifted the focus to take-out once indoor dining…
Alan Jedlicka joins Delano Law Offices
Alan Jedlicka has joined the law firm of Delano Law Offices, 1 SE Old State Capitol Plaza, as of Oct. 1. He was most recently an attorney with Sorling Northup in Springfield. Jedlicka has also worked for the Illinois Attorney General’s Office and as an attorney for Walgreen Co., in addition to his time in…
Building permit roundup – Oct. 4-10, 2021
The City of Springfield in care of the chief surveyor obtained a commercial building permit for a Springfield Sangamon County Transportation Center at 1000 E. Washington St. R. D. Lawrence Construction Co., Ltd. is the contractor and the project is valued at $12,500,000. Concept Investments of Illinois, LLC obtained a commercial building permit for 755…
St. Joseph’s Home of Springfield announces closure
St. Joseph’s Home of Springfield will close on Dec. 15 and surrender its license. The Illinois Department of Public Health has been notified and has approved the plan of closure. The Sisters of St. Francis of the Immaculate Conception have owned and operated St. Joseph’s Home, 3306 S. Sixth St., for the sheltering and comfort…
Kiku closed, but owner hopes to reopen next spring
Regular customers of Kiku Japanese Steak & Seafood House were disappointed by the recent announcement that the restaurant would be temporarily closing. Owner Sherry Pan posted on the business’ Facebook page on Sept. 28 that “Kiku will be temporally closing the door until spring of next year” and thanked loyal customers for their support. Pan…
Fact or fiction: Will Mike Murphy be the next Chamber of Commerce president?
During the Oct. 8 morning show on Sports Radio 1450, talk show host Sam Madonia said, “I am told that Mike Murphy will be the new executive director of the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce,” a claim he repeated again during a monologue about possible mayoral candidates for the city of Springfield. Rep. Mike Murphy,…
Dr. Jason Goldstein joins AlignLife of Springfield Chiropractic & Natural Health Center
Dr. Jason Goldstein has joined AlignLife of Springfield Chiropractic & Natural Health Center. Goldstein worked in Springfield for a decade before moving to Texas where he focused on medical software and ways to streamline health care paperwork. He returned to Illinois two years ago and most recently worked at a chiropractic clinic in Lincoln. Goldstein…
Adam Lockwood launches Exposure Real Estate Media
After spending the past decade working in sales and marketing, Adam Lockwood has started his own company to help individuals and businesses market their real estate. Exposure Real Estate Media offers real estate photography, floor plans, virtual tours and virtual staging. “It’s geared to Realtors, homeowners or businesses that are looking to get professional photography…
Building permit roundup – Sept. 27-Oct. 3 2021
Jae and Soo Young Choi obtained a commercial roofing permit for 838 South Grand Ave. East. Williams Roofing and Construction is the contractor and the project is valued at $30,241. The City of Springfield obtained a commercial demolition permit for 1022-1032 E. Adams St. The contractor is R. D. Lawrence and the project is valued…
The Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance launches new public job search tool
The Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance (SSGA) is unveiling several new web-based tools it has developed to assist businesses in retaining top talent and helping those searching for employment find the right opportunities. The new features, which can be found on SSGA’s website at thriveinspi.org/work/, include a public job search tool called Find A Job with…
Sean Keeley to become general manager and executive chef at Sangamo Club
A familiar face will soon be taking the helm at Sangamo Club. Springfield native Sean Keeley is slated to become the executive chef and general manager as of Oct. 11. Keeley is currently the lead culinary specialist at Lincoln Land Community College’s Culinary Institute and a well-known name in the Springfield dining scene. He worked…
Golf simulation course, The Back 9, to open in Rochester
Golf lovers who want to get their fix even when the weather in central Illinois isn’t cooperative will soon have a new option. The Back 9 is a golf simulation course scheduled to open in Rochester on Nov. 1. “Essentially, you can come to Rochester and play Pebble Beach, Augusta, or other very high-end golf…
Golf simulation course opening in Rochester
Golf lovers who want to get their fix even when the weather in central Illinois isn’t cooperative will soon have a new option. The Back 9 is a golf simulation course scheduled to open in Rochester on Nov. 1. “Essentially, you can come to Rochester and play Pebble Beach, Augusta, or other very high-end golf…
We have a plan – now what?
By Steven Simpson-Black Springfield is just OK at urban planning. We still do planning like the 1990s, leaving out some pretty important aspects in our comprehensive planning process. We don’t really plan for transit or bicycling, and infill planning is sparse. Still, the most recent Springfield 2037 Comprehensive Plan does talk about transit and calls…
Jim Fulgenzi purchases Re/Max Professionals from Al and Linda Young
Jim Fulgenzi is the new owner of Re/Max Professionals. He purchased the business from Al and Linda Young, who had owned the Springfield franchise since 1986, on Sept. 30. “They’ve worked hard for a lot of years,” said Fulgenzi. “The things they did changed how real estate brokerages were run.” He noted that prior to…
Illinois announces first $24 million in Back to Business grants
By Peter Hancock, Capitol News Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration on Thursday announced the awarding of the first $24 million in “Back to Business” grants, a program funded with federal relief aid to help businesses recover and reopen from the pandemic. The announcement took place at a Mexican restaurant in the Little Village neighborhood of…
Abby Powell named Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance’s director of business development
Abby Powell has been hired as the first director of business development for the Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance. She most recently served as the City of Springfield’s economic development operations coordinator and TIF manager in the Office of Planning and Economic Development. Powell brings nearly 15 years of economic development experience to the position. “Abby’s…
Chase Hammon named the new CFO of Springfield Clinic
Chase Hammon is the new vice president and chief financial officer for Springfield Clinic. He has 15 years of financial operations management experience, including the past 10 years spent in health care. Hammon will oversee all financial operations, capital outlay, revenue cycle, treasury services and supply chain. He relocated from Virginia, where he most recently…
Building permit roundup – Sept. 20-26, 2021
Cedarhurst of Springfield Real Estate, LLC obtained a commercial building permit for a new parking lot at 3520 W. Old Jacksonville Road. Precise Construction Services, Inc. is the contractor and the project is valued at $30,000. Bishop Hardware & Supply, Inc. obtained a commercial remodel permit for 3350 S. Koke Mill Road. The contractor is…
Don’t neglect long-haul COVID in the panic over Delta variant
By Dr. Jeffrey Gold “Long-haul COVID” is one of many scary phrases that have barged into our vocabulary since the pandemic upended global life. Those who have it are afflicted with a COVID that seems never to go away. With the present panic over the Delta variant, there’s a danger that we will not accord…
Weaving a legacy
Dan Frachey launches a business to capture seniors’ stories By Carey Smith “People may say they don’t have much of a story to tell, but when people start talking, when they are given permission to share, they start revealing that there is a great narrative over the course of one’s life,” said Dan Frachey, owner…
2021 15 Under Fifteen – Small Business Awards
2021 15 Under Fifteen Awards
Lauren Tomten Photography moving to West Ash Street
Lauren Tomten opened her photography business in 2013, specializing in newborn and family photos. Three years ago, Lauren Tomten Photography moved into commercial space on State Street and she is now ready to expand again. “I had been renting the space on State Street, and now I’ve purchased a building at 1219 W. Ash,” she…
Piero Taico hired as new assistant director for Downtown Springfield Inc.
Piero Taico is the new assistant director for Downtown Springfield Inc (DSI). Taico will be responsible for all aspects of the Old Capitol Farmers Market and building relationships with DSI’s membership and volunteer groups. He has worked and volunteered for years with DSI partners and members. Taico became familiar with the needs of the downtown…
Maryann Walker is the new executive director of Illinois Presbyterian Home Communities
Maryann Walker is the new executive director of the Illinois Presbyterian Home Communities, located at 2005 W. Lawrence Ave. in Springfield. She started her new role on Sept. 7. Walker most recently served in a similar role for Heritage Health of Springfield and has more than three decades of experience in senior living and health…
Caroline Suhadolnik has opened Solstice Acupuncture & Apothecary
Caroline Suhadolnik has opened Solstice Acupuncture & Apothecary, a business that she hopes “will bring more awareness around different modalities of medicine, more natural ways for the body to heal.” Suhadolnik, a Springfield native, recently moved back after five years in Phoenix, Arizona. While there, she completed a master’s degree at the Phoenix Institute of…
Jeff Olson has joined Hanson Professional Services
Jeffrey Olson, P.E., recently joined Hanson Professional Services Inc. as its aviation discipline manager. Working at the Springfield headquarters, 1525 S. Sixth St., he will manage aviation staff and work directly with clients on their airfield projects. Olson has 12 years of engineering experience, most recently as the head of airport development and a transportation…
Building permit roundup – Sept. 13-19, 2021
Solon, LLC obtained a commercial remodel permit for renovation work at 3330 W. Hedley Road. The contractor is Joyner Construction Services, Inc. and the project is valued at $132,000. H & I Real Estate, LP obtained a commercial remodel permit for 3631 S. Sixth St. Frontage Road West. Kate Lesley, Inc. is the contractor and…
Pella Windows & Doors purchases building on West Wabash
Pella Windows & Doors of Springfield will soon be moving to a new, larger showroom. Mike Marry, who has owned the Springfield franchise since 1996, along with the locations in Champaign and Evansville, Indiana, said, “We’re making a big commitment to our future there in Springfield. The contractors and homeowners in that area have been…
Kim Dixon sells The Wardrobe to Sami McElwee
By Karen Ackerman Witter The Wardrobe has served many generations of women since 1963. On Sept. 30, Sami McElwee will turn 29 and become the fourth owner of this Springfield establishment featuring women’s clothing and accessories. Kim Dixon has owned The Wardrobe for nearly 20 years. She couldn’t be happier about the upcoming sale and…
