AR Luxury Event Spaces to open

AR Luxury Event Spaces will soon offer another option for people in the Springfield area who want to host events.

Owner Kaia Griffin is leasing the 2,500-square-foot space at 675 E. Linton Ave. that most recently served as office space for the Springfield branch of the American Cancer Society. She plans to transform it into a venue that can used for wedding receptions, baby showers, workplace dinners, classes, pop-up shops and more.

Clients will have the option to rent the space and decorate it themselves, or for those who prefer to delegate some of the tasks, Griffin will provide additional services as well. “I will be offering event planning services to give clients the opportunity to have a one-stop shop,” she said. “I’ll also have a contact list of vendors that I can refer people to.”

Griffin, a Springfield native, said she became interested in event planning while attending college at Howard University. “I was a part of planning various events while I was in college, including a homecoming fashion show,” she said. “I really enjoyed seeing a blank canvas and working with event planners to throw in my own touches.”

Griffin moved to Chicago after graduation, but said she decided to open an event venue in her hometown. “I felt like Springfield needed this,” Griffin said, noting that as a person of color she also hopes to be able to mentor younger girls in the community.

She also plans to host one or two of her own events every month “to keep the traffic flowing,” such as holiday-themed events. “One event that I want to make a priority is a back-to-school event where I would partner with other Springfield businesses to do backpack and school supply giveaways.”

A grand opening is planned for Saturday, April 13.