By Patrick Yeagle What do you get when you put a wood-fired brick oven burning at 1,000 degrees inside a trailer? Besides a very warm trailer, you get Dragon Fire Pizza, a food truck expanding to Springfield from Champaign. The truck will debut here during the Illinois State Fair and then establish a weekly route […]
Comings & Goings
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City demolishes former Ridgely village hall after legal battle – Building permit roundup
By Patrick Yeagle The City of Springfield this week began demolishing a north-end building constructed in 1885. A demolition permit was issued this week following a two-year legal battle, during which the building’s owner attempted to establish a hydroponic garden and community center at the site. The Ponics Project owned 1901 Elizabeth St., a 132-year-old […]
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Building permit roundup – Aug. 2, 2017
By Patrick Yeagle The City of Springfield Building and Zoning department has approved the following building permits: Cell phone carriers Verizon and AT&T obtained permits for a cell tower “collocation” at 2723 W. Monroe St. The work on the $98,000 project is being done by Effective Electric, Inc. and Communication Builders, Inc. Meanwhile, cell phone […]
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Jan-Pro targets medical field in Springfield expansion
By Patrick Yeagle A commercial cleaning service with franchises around the globe is planning an expansion to Springfield. Jan-Pro Cleaning Systems, based in Georgia, expects to establish a location here and is seeking franchise candidates. The company serves a variety of industries, including medical, retail, fitness and real estate. Scott Thompson, chief development officer for Jan-Pro, […]
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Fehr Graham opens new Springfield office
Engineering firm Fehr Graham opened its new office in Springfield this month after moving from its former location on South Grand Avenue West. The new office, located at 2060 W. Iles Ave., officially opened July 14. “Fehr Graham continues to grow in the Springfield market, and we are excited about our new space,” said Mary […]
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Traffic up at Springfield airport as larger planes introduced
About 1,600 more passengers used Springfield’s Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport in the first half of 2017, compared with the same time frame last year. The boost in traffic comes as the airport prepares to host larger airplanes. From the start of 2017 through June 30, a total of 99,076 passengers flew through the Springfield airport, […]
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Instacart launches in Springfield as retail delivery grows
By Patrick Yeagle Delivery of groceries and other retail products is growing in Springfield, with San Francisco company Instacart the latest to launch delivery service here. Geared toward convenience, the nationwide trend is attracting both retailers and consumers. David Osborne, general manager of Instacart in Springfield, says the company started about five years ago when […]
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Italian restaurant to open in former Cafe Brio space
By Patrick Yeagle A new Italian restaurant is slated to open later this year in the downtown space formerly occupied by the now-closed Café Brio. VELE – pronounced VayLay – will offer southern coastal Italian cuisine like seafood, pastas and steaks when it opens later this summer or early fall. The name is Italian for […]
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St. George Apartments to open downtown July 1
A historic downtown building will soon be home to nine new luxury apartments. St. George Apartments, located in the St. George Building at 300 E. Monroe St., is slated to open on July 1, the first phase of a project which will eventually see additional apartments and retail space downtown. Josh Wagoner, who owns the […]
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City council approves zoning variances for three proposed restaurants – Zoning roundup
The Springfield City Council approved zoning variances for three proposed restaurants on Tuesday. City ordinance limits the locations of establishments selling alcohol. It’s common for restaurants, bars and similar establishments to seek zoning variances allowing them to open in areas otherwise prohibited. At the city council meeting on Tuesday, aldermen approved variances for restaurants at: […]
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Building permit roundup – June 15-21, 2017
The following building, electrical or other permits were recently approved for projects in Springfield by the City of Springfield Building and Zoning Office: -Silverleaf Children’s Academy, 2715 S. Fourth St., obtained a permit for a 3,800-square-foot remodel. The contractor is Joyner Construction, and the project valuation is $80,000. -Glen Garrison obtained a permit obtained a permit […]
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Combination barber shop and tavern to open downtown
A combination barbershop and tavern is slated to open downtown later this month. Hair of the Dog Bar/Bershop will be located at 323 E. Monroe St. and will be operated by Declan Binninger and Jeremy Bredemeyer. “It’s like what you might have imagined your grandfather’s barbershop looked like, attached to the place your grandfather may […]