Blackstone Group-Cranmer LLC doing business as McDonald’s Corp received a commercial remodel permit for 2303 W. Monroe St. Stratus Unlimited is the contractor and the project is valued at $50,000. CGM Management LLC received a commercial remodel permit for 2205 Wabash Ave. Contractor is Marriott Real Estate Serv. and the project is valued at $3,000. […]
Newsletter – Biz Bites
Posted inColumns
The end of an era
A 149-year-old family manufacturing business in Chatham is closing its doors in early June and an unrelated, but well-known, national franchise business will move into its space along Interstate 55. Armbruster Manufacturing Company will close and its 33,000-square-foot facility will be the new home of the central Illinois Roto-Rooter franchise. The sale of the legacy […]
Posted inColumns
Brezie’s Roasted Beans & Gaming opens in Southern View
Brezie’s Roasted Beans & Gaming is a new addition to the Springfield area’s growing coffee scene, but it also offers breakfast and lunch options plus activities for kids. “I’ve been in the restaurant and bar industry my whole life,” said owner Bree Richardson. “Plus, my mom owns Jamie’s Route 66, so when the suite next […]
Posted inArticles
Springfield man charged with operating six “houses of prostitution”
A Springfield man owned or rented six “houses of prostitution” in Springfield in which Asian women – some traveling from other countries – provided sexual services in exchange for free food, lodging and incomes of up to $30,000 per month. Those were some of the allegations aimed at Gregory L. Fraase, 60, in legal documents […]
Posted inColumns
Former La-Z-Boy owner launches Vyper Transportation
David Hilst recently sold his La-Z-Boy Home Furnishings & Décor stores to the corporate parent company, but he has hired eight of the former employees to launch a new business, Vyper Transportation. Hilst and his mother, Sandy Hilst, owned and operated multiple La-Z-Boy stores for nearly four decades. “We had some of the top-performing stores […]
Posted inArticles
Revitalizing Route 66
Tourism attractions that commemorate Springfield’s links to Historic Route 66 and Black history, as well as a mix of new residential sites, all accessible by improved sidewalks and some areas closed off to traffic, are part of a master plan for a three-mile section of Ninth Street and Peoria Road. “This provides a structure and […]
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Building permits – March 4 – March 10
Fred W. Wanless LLC received a commercial building permit for 3100 Ridge Ave. Contractor is Greg Mackling and the project is valued at $600,000. Friendly Tract A. Inc. % Susan S. Langheim received a commercial accessory structure permit for 2540 Prairie Crossing Drive. Contractor is MB Heating & Cooling and the project is valued at […]
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OSF HealthCare expands women’s health care services
Women in the Lincoln, Decatur-Forsyth and Champaign-Urbana areas will soon have increased access to obstetrics care through a new collaboration on select services between OSF HealthCare and Advanced Women’s Healthcare in Bloomington. Clinics with Advanced Women’s Healthcare providers and OSF Mission Partners began serving patients in Forsyth, 845 US Route 51, in February, and anticipate […]
Posted inArticles
Gabatoni’s listed for sale
An iconic Springfield restaurant is for sale, but the owner says she has no plans to close before a new owner takes over. Gabatoni’s was founded by Johnny and Rosemary Lynn in 1951 and originally operated out of a building at Third and Washington streets. In 1959, the family-owned business moved to its current location […]
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Register by March 8 for the Urban Tech & Construction Jobs Program
The Springfield Urban League has announced the launch of the Urban Tech & Construction Jobs Program (UTCJP), an initiative designed to introduce underrepresented populations and at-risk individuals to the burgeoning drone industry and the construction sector. This program will empower communities by providing them with valuable skills and opportunities in these rapidly growing fields. UTCJP […]
Posted inColumns
Loukinens’ on 4th reopens
Loukinens’ on 4th has reopened as of March 2 after closing suddenly in mid-February. Owners Keith and Laurie Loukinen announced Feb. 13 the restaurant at 517 S. Fourth St. would “temporarily close until further notice.” Loukinens’ opened in 2017 across from the Executive Mansion and featured “casual, upscale dining” using local, seasonal ingredients. A recent […]
Posted inColumns
Building permits – Feb. 26 – March 3
Lewis House LLC % Karen R. Conn received a commercial accessory structure permit for 508 S. Sixth St. Contractor is Lewis House LLC % Karen R. Conn and the project is valued at $3,000. Blackstone Group-Dirksen LLC received a commercial remodel permit for 2512 N. Dirksen Parkway. Contractor is Schuster Construction and the project is […]