News

The evolution of the Springfield Market looks pretty bleak

Deep discount promotional events increase in frequency, Higher-end stores are closing and are more frequently replaced with discount stores. It makes me wonder about the conspicuously wealthy west-enders. Maybe they're tapped out.

Survey: 57% of Sangamon County residents considered movingA survey reveals Sangamon County residents' opinions of the area is declining. According to the survey, only 52% of respondents think Sangamon County is heading in the right direction, compared to 62 percent in 2017. A total of 63 percent of participants said the county is an excellent or good place to live, compared to 69 percent two years ago, but similar to 2013 and 2015.

Under new managementUpon Further Review

Town & Country Shopping Center in foreclosureOwnership of Town & Country Shopping Center will soon change hands after a lender filed a foreclosure claim against the center’s ownership

State of the streetNews

A La Carte: Pizza Hut jettisoning some dine-in holdings in favor of take-outActually eating a pie at PIZZA HUT is about to get harder to do in Springfield.The global chain — known for its iconic red roofs — opens its

Fair officials hope lower admission fee, infrastructure fixes boost attendanceWhen Department of Agriculture director John Sullivan previewed the upcoming Illinois State Fair to members of the news media last week, he wasted no time

Berglund fired as CEO of economic development corporationLess than a year after being hired, Land of Lincoln Economic Development Corporation president and CEO Eric Berglund has been fired, the corporation

Nearly every other college-bound Illinois graduate heads out of stateNearly one out of two public school graduates bound for a four-year university chose to leave Illinois rather than studying at an in-state institution, according to a new report.

Enrollment is falling at most Illinois collegesThe national economy has translated into fewer students for Illinois colleges and universities.

Want to own a vacant lot in Springfield? They're going for $500When Madeline Huffman bought her house eight years ago, she knew she wanted the two lots next door that had condemned houses on them. Her small house

A La Carte: O'Charleys in Prairie Crossing to closeO’CHARLEY’S in Prairie Crossing will close March 24, just shy of two decades serving up the Nashville, Tennessee, chain’s signature

Payless ShoeSource to declare bankruptcy, all stores could closeDiscount shoe chain Payless ShoeSource will declare bankruptcy later this month and plans to close all of its stores, according to published reports.The

Report: Income disparity between black, white Springfield households largest in countryThe median income of a black household in the Springfield area is 42 percent that of a white household's income, the largest discrepancy in the nation,

Income disparity was never before on the radar of any institution, media or bureaucracy in this town before.

Meet Springfield's first Homeless Outreach Team officerSpringfield Police Officer Chris Jones started his day last week with a phone call.A street officer phoned Jones on Monday morning to ask if he was

The city has gotten to a point where they must finally do something about the homeless situation.

Springfield One Of Only Two Illinois Cities With Year-To-Year Job LossesSpringfield is still losing jobs... one of only two major metro areas in the state to post year-to-year job lo...

Transparency group warns of ‘zombie’ governmentsA transparency group is using the season to warn about risky practices employed by what the group calls "zombie governments." Truth in Accounting has updated information that shows some states, Illinois included, have such large amounts of hidden debt that they’re essentially insolvent. The term “zombie bank” comes from the savings and loan crisis of...

As Retailers Leave, What To Do With Empty Space?Illinois continues to see big box stores close. That means lost jobs, less tax revenue and often empty store space. Still, Joe Fackel – with the Canvass

The 2018 Springfield Area Economic Summary from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. [PDF]

Pritzker faced with out-migrationILLINOIS (WCIA) -- More than 45,000 people packed up and moved out of state last year.

Supervalu confirms no buyer found for Springfield Shop 'n SavesST. LOUIS — Supervalu confirmed Thursday it has been unable to find a buyer for its remaining 16 Shop ’n Save stores, including two in

Local Business Notes: Springfield stays tops in video gamingSpringfield remained the video gaming capital of Illinois in 2018, boasting – by far – the most video gaming terminals of any municipality

Report: Springfield 9th slowest-growing city in U.S.A new report from WalletHub, shows Springfield ranked as the 4th slowest growing mid-size city in America and the 9th slowest growing city overall. The data set ranges from population growth to college-educated population growth to unemployment rate decrease. The slowest growing mid-size city was Shreveport, Louisiana. The fastest growing: Midland, Texas. Three Illinois cities made it into the top 5 for the cities with the slowest job growth: Peoria, Decatur, and Bloomington.

Bank, unions sue Ferguson-Booth building ownerThe bank that holds the mortgage of three historic buildings downtown is calling it quits, raising questions about the status of its first-floor

Departures of Bergner's, Sears leave holes at White Oaks MallBetween managing the Sunglass Hut and working a shift at Lost World Imports, Jackie Forman spends about six days a week at White Oaks Mall.From her

Bon-Ton chains, including Bergner's, back in business onlineThe bankrupt Bon-Ton stores and its associated nameplates Bergner's, Boston Store, Carson's, Elder Beerman, Herberger's and Younkers have been relaunched

Build-A-Bear promotion builds a crowdHundreds wait for hours at White Oaks Mall for deep discounts

Marshalls to open in SpringfieldMarshalls, a discount clothing retailer, has signed a lease to become the latest tenant in a new shopping center constructed at Wabash Avenue and Veterans

Springfield Homegoods store to open July 22Home fashions retailer HomeGoods intends to open its Springfield location at 8 a.m. July 22.The 23,945-square-foot store is set to open in the former

Springfield sales, telecom taxes increase SundayThe city of Springfield's decision earlier this year to raise local sales and telecommunication taxes will begin to hit shoppers and residents on Sunday.

A sales tax increase would be logical considering the number of people living outside Springfield, but shop in Springfield, out-number the population living within the city limits, but a telecom tax increase effects only the local residents.

Nine non-union city employees get five-digit salary increasesOf the 18 non-union city employees who received a pay raise within the last year, half of them scored five-digit increases.Most of the salary bumps came

Lincoln Library sees uptick in homeless populationFor two weeks, Lincoln Library has been the home of David Petrik.“There’s my home for the next five days,” Petrik, 57, said Tuesday

Springfield aldermen move to block acting tourism director's hiringSome Springfield aldermen don't think Janet Kirby, Benedictine University's Springfield campus director, is the right person to be the Springfield

Number of working-age adults in Illinois declinesThe state's population of working-age residents is declining.

Bill to give Sangamon County first dibs on state jobs passes SenateThe measure now heads to Gov. Bruce Rauner for consideration

Ferguson-Booth building project loses TIF fundingThe Springfield City Council voted 8-1 Tuesday to cancel a more than $1.1 million tax-increment financing grant and an $800,000 TIF loan to redevelop

Bill aiming to shift state jobs back to Springfield clears House panelA bill that would give Sangamon County first dibs on most state jobs unanimously cleared a House committee Friday morning.The measure, House Bill 4295,

Bergner's parent company planning to close all stores, including SpringfieldThe Bon-Ton Stores, which operates 260 department stores in the U.S., including the Bergner's in Springfield's White Oaks Mall, is planning to go out of

Most Illinois metros gain jobs, see unemployment declineThe Illinois Department of Employment announced Thursday that 13 of the state's metro areas not only saw their unemployment percentages drop last month compared to a year ago, but they

While Illinois gains 7,700 manufacturing jobs in 2017, group says trends elsewhere raise alarmThe most recent Illinois jobs report showed Illinois gained thousands of manufacturing jobs, but that trails in comparison to trends in neighboring states. Illinois Manufacturers’ Association Vice President Mark Denzler said it’s good news that Illinois added 7,700 manufacturing jobs in 2017. “However, it’s unfortunate news for the tens of thousands of Illinoisans that should …

Thumbs down to apathy on Election DayThe editorial board of The State Journal-Register offers this week's thumbs up/thumbs down:Thumbs down: To the depressingly low turnout Tuesday for the

City Sales Tax Issue The State Journal-Register reported " At least half of Springfield aldermen oppose raising sales tax " apparently to 8.75%. Springfield...