As an informed and involved citizen, we’re sure you know that on January 25, 2023 the Illinois Times, Springfield Business Journal, Midwest Family Broadcasting and the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce hosted a debate for city of Springfield mayoral candidates between James Langfelder and Misty Buscher and moderated by Bernie Schoenburg.

But what you may not have known is that this was not the candidates’ first joint appearance at a public forum.

That honor goes to the MacArthur Boulevard Association which hosted the candidates on January 12 at South Side Christian Church. Their remarks were thoughtful and polite and their presence was not at all surprising given that the MacArthur Boulevard Association’s monthly meetings are always well attended by state, county and municipal officials.

Every month MBA members get a first-hand report on what our local government is up to and an opportunity to ask questions of local elected officials face-to-face.

Just one of the many benefits of becoming a member of the MBA.

Believe in the Boulevard!

Jim Langfelder

Misty Buscher

Dear MBA members,

2020 has certainly been a challenging and difficult year for our community, the country, and the world. We wanted to reach out to our members and give an update on the work of the MBA board over the past months, what’re we’re looking to do as we move into 2021, and also present our proposed slate of 2021 officers.

2020 Hindsight

With the lockdown beginning in March, our board meetings moved virtually. The MBA board continued to meet on a monthly basis to discuss issues impacting the Boulevard and to see where MBA assistance could be impactful in our community. This included making donations to the Springfield Black Lives Matter organization, the Boys & Girls Club, Compass for Kids, and the Capital City Takeout Challenge. Our donations focused on providing resources to students and also to help incentivize the patronage of locally-owned businesses. At the beginning of the pandemic, the MBA board focused on sharing information as widely as possible on resources available to small businesses and residents to help offset the economic challenges posed by the Phase 2 lockdown.

We also had to make some hard, but necessary, decisions to cancel our Spring cleanup as well as our Bites on the Boulevard series. Bites has become the Association’s premier event each year so that was an especially difficult decision to make. Out of concern for the health and safety of our attendees, members, and food truck vendors, we felt the ever-changing rate of local infection at the time warranted an abundance of caution, even for an outdoor event. We are hopeful, however, to have some version of Bites back in 2021! More information will be coming on Bites in a few months.

Moving into 2021

Based on the recommendation of our Nominating Committee Chair, David Farrell, our proposed 2021 slate of officers is the same as 2020, with two exceptions. We are actively working with several South MacArthur businesses to secure a representative a new representative to our Board. We will also be replacing Caleb Leach of Hy-Vee with the new Hy-Vee Store Manager, Chris Gregg. We want to thank Caleb for his service on our board and wish him well in his new position at Springfield Plastics!

Our proposed 2021 slate is below.

If you are a 2020 paid member, please email info@ShopOnMacArthur.com with “yea” or “nay” in lieu of an in-person vote by 5pm on Friday December 11, 2020.

• President: Katie Davison
• Vice President: Michael Higgins
• Secretary: Jess Weitzel
• Treasurer: Justin Creasey
• At-large: Loretta Durbin, Julie Dirksen, Denise Perry, Chris Hanken, Doug Dougherty, Chris Gregg, South MacArthur Business Rep

[Read more…]

MacArthur Boulevard members, friends, and neighbors,

This is an unprecedented time in our community’s history. We want you to know that the MacArthur Boulevard Association is here to support you. If you or someone you know needs assistance, please reach out to us directly and we will assist in identifying resources to support your needs. If you would like to directly support your neighbors in need, the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln and United Way of Central Illinois have joined together to create the COVID-19 Response Fund to deploy resources to community-based organizations at the front lines of a coronavirus spread in Illinois’ greater capital region.

Click here to learn more and donate to this effort…

As measure to help flatten the curve and for the safety of our members and community, we will be cancelling our April membership meeting.

FOR BUSINESSES

The MacArthur Boulevard Association is working in tandem with other business organizations in Sangamon County, from DCEO to Local First, to provide resources that help all of our businesses make it through this COVID-19 shutdown.

We’re would like to share a new website that will help consumers find out the status of their favorite local businesses and their services in one, easily searchable, website. We will all market this website as the one-stop source for business information here in Sangamon County.

You simply create a free account to share information about your modified operations and provide updates as your operations change and eventually go back to normal. We hope to create a seamless process that serves as a single location for information about local businesses. You will never be spammed from this effort.

The website is SpringfieldZoom.com. Just click on “Register My Business” to get started. We want to thank Springfield businesses, and MacArthur Boulevard Association friends, GoWeb1  and  AlertsMadeEasy.com, who had the idea and built it in two days. They are donating this effort for the entire business community in Sangamon County as a free tool to help businesses and organizations quickly communicate their operational status to the public.

Additionally, if you use Facebook to promote your business, please tag us in any of your updates or announcements and we will share with our audience as well.

Please let us know if you have any questions. We are a tough bunch and we have always come together to support one another. We will get through this and we are here for you.

Believe in the Boulevard,
MacArthur Boulevard Association Board of Directors

Home for the Holidays has been cancelled due to the weather.  

Please watch for more information on purchasing “Home for the Holidays” Gift Boxes. [Read more…]

The February Monthly Meeting will take place on Thursday, February 13, at the American Red Cross Building, 1045 Outer Park Drive, Springfield, IL. The Meeting Topic is to be announced.

Over the past decade, the MacArthur Boulevard has gone through a time of change. During that time, a dedicated group of residents and elected officials, from the local to the federal level, has worked together for the continued betterment of the area.

While the progress has come with a lot of tested patience, Tuesday was a clear sign of what’s ahead for MacArthur. The groundbreaking of our new neighborhood grocery store, Hy-Vee, has made all of the countless hours from our volunteers worth it.

The list is too long of all those who have been a part of this effort, but sincere gratitute goes to our elected officials, city staff, neighbors, business owners and the members of the MacArthur Boulevard Association who have all believed in the vision for MacArthur.

Now IS the time to Believe in the Boulevard. MacArthur Boulevard is an important piece of our city that links together many  other parts of our community. The MacArthur Boulevard Association welcomes Hy-Vee to Springfield and looks forward to the great things ahead on MacArthur.

Jen Dillman, President, MacArthur Boulevard Association.

By TIM LANDIS
The State Journal-Register
Posted Feb 09, 2013

The HY-VEE supermarket and convenience store will be a little larger than first planned, and there will be more parking.  Construction of the supermarket on the site of the old Kmart at 2115 S. MacArthur Blvd. now is expected to begin this spring.  Members of a regional planning commission committee last week sent the project to the city council, where action could come as early as April.

“It looks like we’ll start about the first of May,” said Ruth Comer, spokeswoman for Hy-Vee. She said the store should open by the spring of 2014.

Most of the questions at last week’s Land Subdivision Committee meeting centered on pedestrian access, landscaping and parking. The committee is among the early stops for large-scale projects.   Steve Walker of Martin Engineering of Springfield said after the meeting the supermarket and convenience store will be somewhat larger than originally planned after Hy-Vee acquired the former Town & Country Shell station at MacArthur and Cherry Road.

Read the full story at SJ-R.com…

By MOLLY BECK
The State Journal-Register
Posted Feb 01, 2013

Only four miles lie between Lindsay Elementary School and the MacArthur Park Apartments, but that’s quite a trip without a car.

Since city buses don’t travel to Lindsay, either, school officials decided to take the school at 3600 Fielding Road to its 22 students who live in the apartment complex in the 2700 block of South MacArthur

Boulevard. Many of their parents do not have transportation.

And so, in Apartment 170, an educational outreach center was created with the help of complex manager Les Greer.

“A lot of parents don’t have transportation to get their children to and from night activities, so we didn’t want them to feel so left out,” said assistant principal Iola Jackson. “We wanted to take the school

out there.”

So far, the tiny branch of Lindsay School has about 500 books.

Read the full story at SJ-R.com…

By TIM LANDIS
The State Journal-Register
Posted Jan 17, 2013

A special zoning classification to encourage redevelopment of older commercial areas in Springfield, including MacArthur Boulevard, is among the topics for a newly restructured study group.

Formation of the committee was announced Thursday at a meeting of the MacArthur Boulevard Business Association.  “We’re looking at the possibility of a new zoning classification that would apply not only to stretches of MacArthur, but also to other older commercial neighborhoods around the city,” committee chairman Jim Moll said after the meeting.

Moll, an engineer at Hanson Professional Services, said a mishmash of zoning variances and multiple government jurisdictions have complicated efforts to draw development to MacArthur between South Grand and  Wabash avenues.

He said another possibility is a zoning “overlay” that would be superimposed on existing classifications.
“What we have on MacArthur is a lot of very small lots,” said Moll. “We have commercial properties next to residential properties, and we’re looking for ways to make better use of those lots and make them attractive for future development.”  He said there are similar challenges in other commercial areas of the city.

The committee expects to build on the work of the former MacArthur Boulevard Action Committee, which has been folded into the MBBA as part of an overall restructuring of the organization.

Read the full story at SJ-R.com…

By The Editorial Board
The State Journal-Register
Posted Jan 16, 2013

Eight years ago, The Garrison Group proposed a project for the shuttered Esquire Theatre property on MacArthur Boulevard called Cherry Grove Shoppes, a pedestrian-oriented development that would have had a small grocery store, stores fronting the street, parking in the back and no booze.

With the highbrow misspelling of the word “shops” and the inclusion of a fruit that doesn’t grow in a grove around here in its name, the upscale development was a dream for residents who live along the aging
boulevard.  It fell through, as did a similar plan in 2007 by a Chicago-based developer. Last year, residents and Springfield aldermen killed the idea of putting a used-car dealership on the south side of the property because it required a variance allowing the cars to be displayed on the parking lot outside.

This page was critical of that decision, which would have redeveloped only the south half of the Esquire property and not the theater itself. While the plan would not have followed the mixed residential and
commercial development plan written by consultants at the Lakota Group in 2011, it was better than what’s there now.

City development officials and the president of the MacArthur Boulevard Business Association visited us recently and reaffirmed their support for sticking with the Lakota Group’s plan.  Had the dealership gone through, the property would have been cut in half with the least attractive part – a building that will be potentially costly to demolish – being all that was left, they argued, also noting that the Lakota Group recommendations were less than two years old, too early to abandon.

In retrospect, they were right — at least for the next several years as we see how the development of a Hy-Vee grocery store affects the rest of MacArthur Boulevard. We believe, as they do, that Hy-Vee will be an enormous boost for the neighborhood that, combined with the future availability of tax-increment financing, should provide enough incentive to get someone to develop something special on the Esquire property.

Read the full story at SJ-R.com…

By DEANA STROISCH
The State Journal-Register
Posted Jan 14, 2013

With a Hy-Vee deal approved, the focus along MacArthur Boulevard is shifting to the former Esquire Theatre.

The building, the largest undeveloped property along MacArthur, has been empty for nearly a decade.  Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin, whose ward includes the former theater property, said conditions have improved to attract a developer. Land costs have declined, interest rates are low, a new tax increment financing district exists, and there is “renewed pride and activity in the neighborhoods.”

He also noted that, under the city’s new building rules, the owners probably will have to demolish the building by 2015 or face significant fines. Last summer, AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc. sold its operations in the United States and Canada to Dalian Wanda Group for $2.6 billion. The Esquire was among them.

“The property has the potential to be a showpiece example of landscaping and architectural innovation offering mixed use development,” McMenamin said. “Like Hy-Vee, it can be a springboard for other improvements
and smaller developments along the corridor. The Hy-Vee and Esquire properties have the potential to brand MacArthur Boulevard in the most positive ways.”

Taking another look

Ward 6 Ald. Cory Jobe said the city should try to land an anchor development for the former Esquire property that is neighborhood- and pedestrian-friendly.  “This is an important parcel of property that many residents and business owners in the area would like to see happen,” Jobe said.  He said an inventory should be taken of under-used and vacant property in order to market it to developers “who are now taking a second and third look since the Hy-Vee redevelopment agreement has been completed.”

Mike Farmer, director of planning and economic development for the city, said the Esquire site is desirable for redevelopment, but he noted there are challenges.  “People just think it’s as simple as ‘Why doesn’t the city do this or why doesn’t somebody do that.’ There’s always those variables that most people aren’t aware of — multiple property owners, one property owner not wanting to sell. … There’s always reasons why it just doesn’t happen, it’s just not because nobody cares.”

Also complicating matters, said McMenamin and Jen Dillman, president of the MacArthur Boulevard Business Association, are the various jurisdictions that control different parts of MacArthur Boulevard — the Illinois Department of Transportation, city of Springfield, Sangamon County, Jerome and Leland Grove.

Read the full story at SJ-R.com…

By DEANA STROISCH
The State Journal-Register
Posted Jan 08, 2013

Construction of a Hy-Vee grocery store along MacArthur Boulevard is expected to begin this spring, after Springfield aldermen Tuesday unanimously agreed to provide the company with $3.5 million in tax increment financing.

The agreement passed without debate.

Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin thanked local businesses and agencies, such as the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce and Town & Country Shopping Center, for making pledges to jump-start the TIF district.

“Hy-Vee will transform a blighted block into an oasis and restore pride to nearby neighborhoods that felt abandoned by major retailers in recent years,” McMenamin said.

Hy-Vee plans to build a full-service grocery store and a gasoline station-convenience store on the site of the old Kmart at 2115 S. MacArthur Blvd., along with the adjoining building that formerly housed

Spillway Lanes bowling alley. The company also recently purchased the former Town & Country Shell station, which closed in October.

Mayor Mike Houston said residents have wanted a grocery store on MacArthur since Schnucks closed in 1996.

“I think this is really a great opportunity for not only the residents of the Macarthur Boulevard area, but for the entire community in terms of really removing an eyesore and having a major development that will be a catalyst for other activity up and down the boulevard,” Houston said.

Read the full story at SJ-R.com…

By DEANA STROISCH
The State Journal-Register
Posted Dec 24, 2012

Hy-Vee Co. has officially purchased the former Town & Country Shell station on MacArthur Boulevard.

Former owner Jim Benson said Hy-Vee closed on the property, 2101 S. MacArthur Blvd., last week. In October, Benson closed his business, one of the last full-service stations in Springfield, because of the competitive nature of gasoline sales and code violations cited by the city. He had owned Town & Country since 1984. “I miss the people,” he said Monday. “I would have liked to stay another four, five years.” Benson declined to disclose the sale price. The property’s assessed value is $107,387, according to Sangamon County records.

Iowa-based Hy-Vee announced plans in September 2011 to build a full-service grocery store and a gasoline station-convenience store that would bring nearly 500 jobs to the site of the old Kmart, along with the adjoining building that formerly housed Spillway Lanes bowling alley. Hy-Vee officials have said there are no specific plans yet for the Town & Country Shell station at MacArthur and Cherry Road.

Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin called the purchase of the Shell station a “win-win-win” for Benson, Hy-Vee and the residents and businesses of MacArthur Boulevard. He said Hy-Vee has spent more than $5 million to purchase properties for its project.

“Even the most loyal patrons of Benson’s Shell see the benefits of a comprehensive and unified site development on the four land parcels comprising the intersections of MacArthur with Outer Park Drive and Cherry Roads,” McMenamin said.

Plans call for Hy-Vee to demolish three buildings — the bowling alley, a Title Max store and the Shell station — and rehabilitate the old Kmart building, he said. The company has said it will do extensive landscaping, adding more than 50 trees and 500 bushes.  “HyVee will dramatically transform a longtime eyesore into the pride of the near southwest side of Springfield, witnessed by a 20,000 daily vehicle count,” McMenamin said.

Read the full story at SJ-R.com…

Tim Landis, September 15, 2012

The MacArthur Boulevard Business Association has 140 members, a long-term redevelopment plan and prospects for a Hy-Vee supermarket five years into the organization’s existence. It also has the old Esquire building, a mishmash of zoning rules and the prospect of more retail competition to the south.

“I think it can only get better,” said Sue Schwartz in explaining her decision to open a new business on MacArthur last spring. Schwartz, owner of Studio on Sixth Street at 215 S. Sixth St., said she considered factors good and bad before opening Gypsy Soul at 1417 S. MacArthur Blvd. The second artist’s studio, for instance, is just across the street from the former Esquire Theater, a building boulevard supporters consider one of the area’s most persistent eyesores. “We have a lot of neighborhood people here,” said Schwartz. “They were just very happy that we took over that spot.”

Sangamon County Board member Jen Dillman and Sharon Whalen, publisher of the Illinois Times, were among the handful of early organizers. “I realize it’s a patient process,” said Dillman. “Things don’t happen overnight.” Dillman said consistent zoning is one of the next big challenges for the corridor, and Hy-Vee will help build momentum.

Whalen, who is relocating to Florida, credited the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce with raising the question of MacArthur’s future once the extension was completed. “‘We know this is coming. What’s your answer to it? How are you going to preserve that area?’” were the questions, Whalen said.

Association president Debbie Thompson, who previously represented Ward 7 on the Springfield City Council, said in an email that Hy-Vee and the TIF provide the foundation for the next five years. “Further discussions with city officials (are needed) to address infrastructure issues, such as the burying of electrical lines, curbs and gutters, and sidewalks,” said Thompson, “and possible transfer of the boulevard from the state to the city.”

Plans by Iowa-based supermarket chain Hy-Vee to convert the former Kmart at 2115 S. MacArthur Blvd. to a grocery store are considered by boulevard supporters the key to much of what comes next. But there has been some frustration in recent weeks among MacArthur Boulevard Business Association members over the pace of negotiations with the city for tax-increment financing incentives.

Both Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin, who represents much of the area, and Ward 6. Ald. Cory Jobe addressed the issue at the monthly MBBA meeting held on Thursday. “Hy-Vee is coming,” said Jobe, who served as MBBA president for the group’s first 3 1/2 years. “I have complete faith in our economic-development director and our mayor when it comes to negotiating with Hy-Vee. “It’s one person’s opinion over the next, but I think we have to wait as an association to see what the agreement is going to be,” said Jobe.

McMenamin said negotiations have been complicated by the fact there is not yet any revenue in the new TIF, which uses increases in property tax values to help pay for additional redevelopment within the district. One of the key issues is how much of the TIF money would be committed upfront to Hy-Vee and what would remain for other developments. “We want to make sure the reimbursement to Hy-Vee is structured in such a way that there’s money left for other purposes,” said McMenamin.

Read the full story at SJ-R.com…

Bruce Rushton, September 13, 2012

Debate over short-term loan businesses on MacArthur Boulevard has erupted anew three years after the Springfield City Council restricted the proliferation of businesses that profit from making installment loans.

At issue is what constitutes a business subject to the city’s ban on loan establishments locating within 1,500 feet of like businesses on a decaying section of MacArthur Boulevard. The city hopes to rejuvenate the commercial strip with the help of a new tax-increment financing district formed to aid development of a proposed Hy-Vee supermarket at the site of a long-closed K-Mart.

TitleMax, which loans money to folks with motor-vehicle titles as collateral, must move to make way for the new supermarket. But the Springfield building and zoning department initially rejected a TitleMax application for a building permit to allow a move to the nearby Town and Country shopping center, also on MacArthur Boulevard.

Zoning officials rejected the application due to the 2009 ordinance, which was passed after several installment-loan businesses set up shop on MacArthur. But Mayor Mike Houston points out that the city ordinance applies to payday loan operations as defined by the state. It turns out that loans involving collateral such as vehicle titles are different than loans made in exchange for a check post-dated to the date a borrower gets a paycheck, at least so far as the state is concerned.

“At the time that the ordinance was passed there was no consideration given to businesses that accept collateral,” Houston wrote in an email response to questions. “Therefore, there would be no provisions that would prevent TitleMax from moving across the street (Outer Park Drive) from its present location.”

Houston also said that he would “certainly be willing to work with any aldermen who would like to broaden the scope” of the ordinance. Whether the city council would want to revisit an issue that proved contentious during the last go-round isn’t clear.

Ward 6 Ald. Cory Jobe, who pushed for restrictions on installment-loan businesses while head of the MacArthur Boulevard Business Association prior to winning his council seat, said that he hasn’t spoken with colleagues on the council about amending the ordinance, but it could be a hard sell. He said that he believes that the city should enforce the spirit of the law. The measuring stick, he said, should be high interest rates.

“I consider TitleMax to be just like another loan-store operation that was intended to be addressed under this ordinance,” Jobe said. “I think we should enforce the law as it was intended to be enforced. … In the spirit of the ordinance, we never dreamed of TitleMax being out of it.”

In a recent email to city zoning officials, however, James Zerkle, an attorney who is one of the owners of Town and Country, wrote that TitleMax has a lease with the shopping center and the city could be on the hook for economic losses if a building permit is improperly denied. He could not be reached for comment.

Like Jobe, Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin said that the distinction between payday loan operations and title-loan businesses came as a surprise. “It’s kind of a new question,” McMenamin said. McMenamin, who is a lawyer, said that it is likely too late for the city to stop TitleMax from moving. He said title-loan businesses provide a service in that borrowers rejected by conventional banks can get lower interest rates than offered by payday loan stores. But he didn’t reject revisiting the ordinance. “I’m really open-minded on the issue,” McMenamin said.

Read the full story at IllinoisTimes.com…

By Deana Stroisch, August 31, 2012

The city of Springfield won’t consider opening a police substation at the MacArthur Park Apartments until the complex is cleaned up, Mayor Mike Houston said Friday.

Representatives of the apartments have twice offered the city a fully furnished unit at the complex on MacArthur Boulevard — rent and utility free — to house a neighborhood police officer.

Read more at sj-r.com…

By Bernard Schoenburg, June 23, 2012

A year after the Scheels sporting good store became the first business to open in a special business area on Springfield’s south side, extra sales tax revenue designed to pay off infrastructure improvements has been accumulating as planned, a Springfield official says.

The Springfield City Council voted in early 2008 to create the South Central Business District, a 450-acre area that includes the Scheels site and other property near the new MacArthur Boulevard interchange off Interstate 72. An extra 1 percent sales tax is charged on purchases in the district.

Read more at SJ-R.com

By Tamara Browning, May 30, 2012

Local artist JENNIFER SNOPKO, known for her plastic bottle sculptures and installations, tried her hand at wire-wrapped jewelry this year “out of boredom,” she said.

“It’s a new thing I kind of picked up. Then I was just recently juried into the Prairie Art Alliance for the jewelry,” said Snopko, who is manager of Prairie Art Alliance’s Gallery II, 2 S. Old State Capitol Plaza.

Art in Action will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. June 8 on the grounds of Standard Mutual Insurance, South Grand Avenue and MacArthur Boulevard.

Read more at SJ-R.com

By Tim Landis, May 25, 2012

Nearly a decade after the Esquire Theatre shut down, proponents of MacArthur Boulevard redevelopment say they hope an impending ownership change will revive prospects for the building.

AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc. announced this week it is selling its operations in the United States and Canada to Dalian Wanda Group for $2.6 billion. The private Chinese conglomerate already is among the world’s largest entertainment companies.

Read more at SJ-R.com

By Tim Landis, May 21, 2012

Three Springfield movie theaters will change ownership for the second time in two years under a $2.6 billion international deal announced Monday.

Dalian Wanda Group, Co., a private Chinese conglomerate, announced it has reached agreement to buy AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc., subject to regulatory approval in both countries. The sale would create the world’s largest cinema chain.

Read the full story at SJ-R.com

Tim Landis, May 11, 2012
The MacArthur Boulevard Business Association hopes to raise at least $5,000 for a redevelopment fund from a retooled art festival next month. MacArt Fest is scheduled for 6-9 p.m. Friday, June 8 and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 9 on the grounds of Standard Mutual Insurance Co., 1028 South Grand Ave. W.

Tickets for the Friday event, which will feature the works of 20 local arts, are $30 per individual or $50 per couple. All proceeds will go to the MacArthur Boulevard Redevelopment Fund. More than 50 artists and craftsmen are scheduled to participate in the Saturday event. Additional information is available www.macartfest.com.

Read the full story at SJ-R.com…

By Chris Dettro, May 09, 2012

An administrative court judge Wednesday fined the owners of the MacArthur Park Apartments $13,000 for not having corrected 26 building code violations they had promised to fix by the time of an inspection on April 5.

Bill Logan, executive assistant to the mayor, said the city won’t be satisfied until Granite City Investment keeps the buildings in compliance without having city inspectors point out violations.

Read the full story at SJ-R.com

By DEANA STROISCH (deana.stroisch@sj-r.com), The State Journal-Register
Posted Apr 05, 2012
City inspectors and an administrative court hearing officer spent more than three hours at MacArthur Park Apartments Thursday morning reviewing the status of more than 150 alleged violations of building codes. Officials representing both MacArthur Park and the city agreed that many of the violations had been corrected.

…

[Bill Logan, the mayor’s executive assistant,] noted that the problems at MacArthur Park date back many years.  “This is a long history of neglect and just … disrespect for the policy of Springfield city government as far as code enforcement is concerned,” Logan said. “All we want is for these owners and landlords to obey the law.” Craven said by his count, the number of remaining violations is down to 19, including a sticky door and a couple of missing cover plates.

…

The violations stem from the city’s execution of a search warrant to inspect the apartment complex last summer. Dozens of violations were found, and some units were placarded as uninhabitable.

Inspectors have continued to inspect additional units ever since. Another six buildings will be inspected next week.

Read the full story at SJ-R.com…

By Bruce Rushton, Illinois Times

Thursday, April 5,2012

The owner of MacArthur Park apartments on MacArthur Boulevard near Jerome will tear down one four-plex at the troubled complex that’s been a target of city building inspectors.

The batch of buildings inspected this morning had the most serious code violations, Craven said. The city has inspected 27 four-plexes at the 188-unit complex since August and has more than a dozen to go.

The building set for demolition had fire damage, [the owner’s attorney Don] Craven said.  “We began work on it,” Craven said. “The farther we got into it, the more apparent it became that it wasn’t going to work.”

Read the full story at IllinoisTimes.com…

An administrative court judge will visit MacArthur Park Apartments, one of Springfield’s largest complexes, next Thursday to review the status of more than 150 alleged code violations.  The unusual move was ordered by hearing officer Timothy Londrigan Wednesday morning, despite pleas from the city that the complex be fined immediately.

“We have been working with this situation now since August,” said Bill Logan, the mayor’s executive assistant. “And we have continued to run into ‘We’ll fix it tomorrow. We’ll do it tomorrow. We’ll give you plans. We will draw you pretty buildings. We will promise that we will do the work.’”

Londrigan said the on-site visit should speed up what is expected to be the lengthy process of studying the evidence applying to each individual allegation. The public, however, won’t be allowed on the private property to observe.

Mark Cullen, Springfield’s corporation counsel, said no rulings will be issued during the site visit. Another public hearing will be scheduled for any decisions to be made, he said.

Wednesday’s hearing had been continued two weeks ago to allow the city to re-inspect the complex in the 2700 block of MacArthur Boulevard to see if some of the violations had been fixed. But the city couldn’t gain entry into all of the units in question.

Springfield attorney Don Craven, who represents MacArthur Park’s owner, James Green of Granite City Investment Company, asked the hearing officer to allow a final inspection next week. Violations are to be considered fixed or continuing as of that inspection.

Since the last hearing, a local contractor has been renovating one of the buildings from top to bottom. Craven previously said a plan to complete the remaining repairs will be assembled based on how long the contractor takes to renovate the first building.

Londrigan also ordered the owners of MacArthur Park to allow city inspectors access to any apartment on the property on another date. A representative of the owner must accompany the inspectors.

Read the full story at SJ-R.com…

An administrative court hearing on more than 200 alleged code violations at MacArthur Park Apartments was continued Wednesday for two weeks.

The city of Springfield plans to re-inspect the complex in the 2700 block of MacArthur Boulevard on Friday to see if some of the violations have been fixed.

Springfield attorney Don Craven, who represents MacArthur Park’s owner, James Green of Granite City Investment Company, said a local contractor has been hired to renovate one of the buildings from top to bottom.

A plan will be assembled to complete the remaining repairs at the complex based on how long the contractor takes to renovate the first building, Craven said.

The violations stem from last summer, when the city executed a search warrant to inspect the apartment complex. Dozens of violations were found, and some units were placarded and deemed uninhabitable. Inspectors have been back several times since to inspect additional units and re-inspect others.

Read the full story at SJ-R.com…

Posted Feb 25, 2012

Hy-Vee Corp. will have to make one more trip to the Springfield City Council before the Iowa-based supermarket chain can begin conversion of the former Kmart building on MacArthur Boulevard, city officials say.

Plans are for both to happen this spring.

“We’ll be entering into negotiations with Hy-Vee for a developer’s agreement. We expect that to begin soon,” said city economic development director Mike Farmer.

Hy-Vee is expected to ask for assistance from a MacArthur Boulevard tax increment financing district that was unanimously approved by the council Tuesday. The district covers both sides of MacArthur from South Grand Avenue to Summit Avenue.

Farmer said negotiations will determine the amount of assistance sought by Hy-Vee and the type of work that is eligible.  “There’ll obviously be some demolition on the site and some clearing and environmental costs. We’d probably cover a portion of that,” said Farmer.

Under TIF rules, increased revenue from property taxes can be used to reimburse developers for the cost of improvements. Hy-Vee plans to demolish the exterior of the former Kmart and use the steelwork as the skeleton of the grocery store.

The former Spillway Lanes bowling alley would be demolished to make room for a convenience store and gasoline station. A Title-Max payday loans building also would be demolished to allow for additional parking.

No money in TIF

The MacArthur TIF will not begin to generate money for redevelopment until 2011 property taxes are collected this year, said Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin, who represents the area.  “I expect something will be worked out,” said McMenamin. “It’s more difficult because there are no funds.”

The MacArthur TIF is the city’s eighth.  Farmer said one possibility would be to sell bonds for the Hy-Vee construction and pay off the bonds as TIF revenues flow into the district.  Both McMenamin and Farmer said they believe an agreement can be approved by the city council in time to meet Hy-Vee’s spring construction schedule. The company has indicated construction will take about a year.

Marketing, zoning

The MacArthur Boulevard Action Committee — or MacBac, as the 16-member committee is known — is nearing completion of a marketing plan to build on projects such as the Kmart conversion, said committee chairman Micah Bartlett.   “We’re putting together a brochure that would be targeted to potential business and real-estate developers,” said Bartlett.

The group, which was created by Mayor Mike Houston, meets monthly to work on implementation of a long-term development plan.  Bartlett said the brochure highlighting potential development sites is in draft form, but should be ready soon to share with economic development officials.   “We want to get this into as many hands as possible,” said Bartlett.

The committee also is trying to simplify zoning requirements along MacArthur Boulevard. A consultant’s report pointed out last year that there have been more than 60 zoning variances along the boulevard since 1956.  MacArthur cuts through four government jurisdictions — the city of Springfield, village of Jerome, Capital Township and rural Sangamon County.  “We’re working with the zoning department to make those changes, obviously with a future ordinance,” said Bartlett. “Some of these things we can do in the near future. Others are going to take years.”

Read the full story at SJ-R.com…

Posted Feb 21, 2012

Springfield aldermen on Tuesday unanimously approved the city’s eighth tax increment finance district — this one intended to revitalize a struggling section of MacArthur Boulevard.

Ward 6 Ald. Cory Jobe said the TIF district will spur future development in the area.  “I think it’s the next step for Hy-Vee,” Jobe said. “And the commitment that Hy-Vee will be bringing to Macarthur Boulevard will signal that you can do business in the inner city and here’s an incentive tool to help you do it.”

The TIF district will include the section of MacArthur from South Grand Avenue to Summit Avenue. The Hy-Vee chain plans to build a grocery store and other facilities at MacArthur and Outer Park Drive.

PGAV Planners estimated that redeveloping that stretch of MacArthur could cost $27.5 million, much of which could be paid for through the TIF district. Consultants suggested a redevelopment plan consisting of both private and public investments, ranging from fixing streets and sidewalks to rehabilitating existing properties and demolishing others.

Read the full story at SJ-R.com…

Posted Feb 08, 2012

By TIM LANDIS (tim.landis@sj-r.com)

But Yanow, 65, said neither he nor the ice-cream shop at 1700 S. MacArthur Blvd. are going away. Mindi Gutmann, the store’s manager for 23 years, has purchased the business. Yanow also plans to remain active in the MacArthur redevelopment effort.

“”The last couple of years, my wife and I have said 41 years is a longtime to run a business,” said Yanow, “especially one that’s open seven days a week, twelve hours a day, 364 days a year, even though I don’t work those hours.  No owners works those hours, but the idea is you’re still responsible for the business,” said Yanow.  He said he and his wife, Sherry, also are expecting their first grandchild this spring and want to be able to travel. He and Gutmann began to discuss the possibility of her taking over several years ago.  “She is my right and left hand,” said Yanow.

Cruising the strip

Gutmann recalled that MacArthur Boulevard was a happening street for the city’s youth in the late 1970s.

“When I was in high school, everybody cruised MacArthur Boulevard,” she said.

Gutmann, who went to work as manager in 1988, will co-own the store with her husband, Nate. She said no immediate changes are planned.  “We want to try to run it as good as Glenn did,” said Gutmann. “Hopefully, we can expand a little bit and maybe add more outside sales.”

Baskin-Robbins has provided employment for generations of Springfield youth, said Springfield police officer Matt Goulet, who was among longtime customers and former employees to wish Yanow well last week.  “It was one of my best jobs in high school. It was ice cream, and MacArthur was the social strip,” said Goulet, who is now coordinator for Crimestoppers of Sangamon and Menard Counties.  Future doctors, lawyers, dentists, helicopter pilots and judges also worked at the store through the decades, said Yanow.

A boulevard comeback?

Yanow said MacArthur Boulevard took a turn for the worse in the past two decades with the loss of traditional retail and entertainment anchors such as National Foods (later Schnucks), the Esquire Theater and Kmart.

“The traffic hasn’t changed. What changed is that people no longer had a reason to stop here,” said Yanow.  Yanow said he plans to remain active in the MacArthur Boulevard Business Association, which was formed six years ago to promote redevelopment of the corridor between South Grand and Wabash avenues.  The biggest success to date has been Hyvee Corp.’s announcement that it plans to convert the former Kmart on MacArthur to a supermarket. Construction could begin this spring.  “I think Hy-Vee is going to be a turning point,” said Yanow.

Other than travel and visiting family, Yanow said he has no immediate plans. He said he might do consulting work for Baskin-Robbins or some other jobs, so long as it isn’t in direct retail sales.“I’m not going to work retail,” said Yanow. “But if I find something I like, I like to stay busy.”

Read the full story at SJ-R.com…

By DEANA STROISCH (deana.stroisch@sj-r.com)
The State Journal-Register
Posted Dec 22

Citing “serious and pervasive code violations,” the Springfield Housing Authority has stopped issuing new Section 8 vouchers for the MacArthur Park Apartments. Jackie Newman, executive director of the housing authority, notified the owner this week that the agency will prohibit additional Section 8 tenants “until the owner has brought the units into compliance and has demonstrated a history of compliance with city codes for an extended period of time.” Officials say the move should not affect current tenants at the 170-plus-unit complex at 2715 S. MacArthur Blvd.

Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin has asked for months that the agency pull the plug on its Section 8 vouchers. On Thursday, he called SHA’s decision a “significant step. It’ll have immediate and long-term consequences for the improvement of not only Macarthur Boulevard corridor, but for the city in general,” he said. “Landlords are on notice that SHA will not tolerate any history of local code violations.”

Don Craven, the owner’s attorney, said he couldn’t comment until he discussed the matter with the owner today.

Between August and November, city inspectors found hundreds of code violations and declared nearly four dozen MacArthur Park apartments to be uninhabitable. Eight of the four-unit buildings were required to be registered. In early December, the city issued a certificate of occupancy for a building that was first placarded in August, allowing new tenants to move in.

Newman said SHA representatives joined the city during recent inspections. She called the list of code violations “extensive.” In notifying the owner, James Green of Granite Investment Company, Newman pointed to the Code of Federal Regulations, which gives housing agencies the authority to deny rent assistance to “landlords who have a history of practice of renting units that fail to meet state or local housing codes.” Newman said she’s never had to take such action in her 6 1/2 years as SHA executive director. She said between 50 and 55 tenants at the complex receive the federal assistance.

***
Federal Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8)

* Tenant’s obligations: Comply with the lease and the program requirements, pay his or her share of rent on time, maintain the unit in good condition and notify the housing authority of any changes in income or family composition.

* Landlord’s obligations: Provide decent, safe, and sanitary housing at a reasonable rent. The dwelling unit must pass housing quality standards and be maintained in that condition.

* Housing authority’s obligations: Administer the voucher program locally and contract with the landlord to provide housing assistance payments on behalf of a family. If the landlord fails to meet the owner’s obligations, the housing authority can terminate assistance payments. The housing authority re-examines each family’s income and composition at least annually and must inspect each unit at least annually.

Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Read the full story at SJ-R.com…

HY-VEE appears to be on track for final approval Tuesday of plans to convert the former Kmart building at 2115 S. MacArthur Blvd. to a full-service supermarket and convenience store. The Springfield City Council is expected to vote on the project, which has had no serious opposition up to now.

The company, based in Des Moines, Iowa, still must complete the purchase of three parcels needed for the project. Hy-vee executives have indicated they would like to begin construction as soon as the site plan is approved and the properties are purchased.

Read the full story at SJ-R.com…

By Bruce Rushton

A milestone was quietly reached Dec. 5 with a certificate of occupancy granted by the city of Springfield for one of seven four-plexes placarded last August in a  housing inspection blitz at the MacArthur Park apartment complex.

It was the first instance of the city allowing tenants to live inside apartments shut down four months ago at the complex that sits between MacArthur Boulevard and the village of Jerome, not far from Wabash Avenue.

“They are making some progress,” says John Sadowski, Springfield building department manager.

But dozens of apartments remain placarded, and progress isn’t fast enough for Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin, who has asked the Springfield Housing Authority to stop issuing Section 8 housing vouchers for MacArthur Park. The housing authority is considering the idea, but hasn’t given a firm answer.

“We are reviewing it,” says Jackie Newman, housing authority executive director. “Our goal is, certainly, to provide quality, affordable housing.”  Newman says that she has a relative living at MacArthur Park and that her staff is studying federal regulations to determine whether a moratorium on Section 8 vouchers for the complex would be legal. McMenamin, however, sounded optimistic after a Dec. 8 meeting with Newman and other housing authority officials.

“They have this authority and leverage, and they intend to use it,” McMenamin said. “It’s, potentially, a massive hammer.”

About 60 apartments in the 188-unit complex are occupied by tenants who have Section 8 vouchers, Newman said. Clients with Section 8 vouchers can use them anywhere, but Section 8 housing must pass muster with housing authority inspectors who have approved units in MacArthur Park.

The city can foreclose on buildings and demolish them if code violations persist for three years, but that won’t happen at MacArthur Park, according to Don Craven, attorney for Granite Investment Company, the company that owns the complex. But fixing things can’t happen overnight.  “There’s only so much work that so many people can do at one time,” Craven said.

Forty-two apartments in the complex remain placarded after being declared unfit for human habitation during city inspections in August, September and October. Problems range from electrical hazards to holes in walls to roach infestations to no plumbing or utilities, according to inspection reports.

More than half of the complex, which includes nearly four dozen four-unit townhouses, has not been inspected by the city since Mayor Mike Houston last summer launched a get-tough program to deal with problem properties.  The city has been inspecting four-plexes in batches every four to six weeks, and inspectors keep finding problems.

An entire four-plex was placarded in September, along with six apartments in other four-plexes. Eight more apartments were placarded in October. And there are plenty of problems that aren’t serious enough to force closure – McMenamin counts 1,400 violations found at the complex. There could be additional violations in four-plexes where inspectors skipped some apartments. In some cases, inspectors didn’t visit apartments because no one was home, according to inspection records. In other cases, Sadowski said, tenants refused to allow inspectors inside.  Sadowski said the city would need search warrants to inspect apartments where tenants have refused entry.  “That’s something we need to think about, whether we need to do that,” Sadowski said.

Cliff Buscher, deputy chief of the Springfield Police Department, says that officers have been called to MacArthur Park 160 times, mostly for “disturbances,” since Aug. 5, when the city launched its inspection program at the complex.

Ward 6 Ald. Cory Jobe said that MacArthur Park is a hurdle to redevelopment of the business district along nearby MacArthur Boulevard, where the city plans to create a tax increment finance district.

“When someone talks about the area, they talk about MacArthur Park apartments,” Jobe said. “It does affect the overall perception.”

Read the full story at IllinoisTimes.com…

The former TAYLOR RENTAL building at 2056 S. MacArthur Blvd. will be demolished or renovated soon.  The out-of-town owners have taken bids for demolition and for renovation.  Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin is among those who have been pushing for repair or demolition of the structure, which has been vacant for several years.

Roberts Automotive has submitted a petition to the Springfield Planning and Zoning Commission for a change in zoning for the parking lot of the old Esquire Theater. Download the petition here… (PDF)

MBBA Letter Opposing the Rezoning

Read the MBBA letter to the Springfield Planning and Zoning Commission opposing the rezoning petition…

Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting Wed Oct 21

The Springfield Planning and Zoning Commission will hear the zoing case Wednesday night, September 21 at 6:00 p.m. in City Council Chambers Third Floor, Municipal Center West. Planning and Zoning staff have recommended denial of the petition as “spot zoning”. Download their report here…

Ward 7 Alderman Joe McMenamin, in whose ward the zoning change is located, is uncommitted on the request.
Alderman Cory Jobe from Ward 6 is on record against the zoning change petition.

The MBBA is opposed to this zoning request for the following reasons:
– The proposed zoning change is from S2 (community shopping and office district) to B1 (highway business service district.) From the City zoning regulations: “This district is designed to provide particularly for drive-in type of automotive and other services, entertainment and open amusement establishments, all of which tend to interfere with the pattern of prime retail development of convenient shopping. Since many of these establishments are designed to attract the motorist, they may involve lighting or signs, which make them incompatible with residential uses. Since these establishments have a wide service area and generate considerable automotive traffic, they are appropriate along major thoroughfares. ”
– The proposed use is not in sync with the MacArthur Master Plan, which recommends the South Grand and MacArthur corner be used for pedestrian-friendly mixed-use retail and residential with greenspace. Indeed, the Master Plan recommends consolidation of automotive businesses in an area north of Stanford and East of MacArthur.
– – With 59 zoning variances granted in the past 55 years, the lack of planning is painfully obvious to anyone who regularly travels MacArthur Boulevard. See Chris Britt’s cartoon below and in the Sept. 2 State Journal-Register…
– The project had been promoted to representatives of MBBA as a new type of high-end dealership, but the petition indicates the intent is to move the current business from Sixth Street to MacArthur.
– The project promoters did not approach the MBBA or neighbors with a business plan and request their support in advance.
– The petition was submitted without notifying the Ward 7 Alderman, Joe McMenamin.

The MBBA will provide updates on its website, elaineg29.sg-host.com and via eNews, including information on meeting dates for the Planning & Zoning Commission and the City Council.

Chris Britt in the September 2 State Journal Register: “Beautiful MacArthur”

MacArthur today: no plan; 59 variances in 55 years

Download the MacArthur TIF timeline…

SJ-R September 6, 2011

MacArthur TIF district. Aldermen voted to begin creation of Springfield’s ninth tax increment financing district along MacArthur Boulevard.

The proposed TIF district area would include both sides of MacArthur from South Grand Avenue to Summit Avenue, from alley to alley, but would include only properties that front the street.

Aldermen also approved a $29,000 contract with Peckham, Guyton, Albers & Viets Inc. to serve as the city’s consultant on creation of the district. The process could take more than a year.

More information…

By DEANA STROISCH (deana.stroisch@sj-r.com), THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER, Posted Aug 17, 2011

Proposals to create Springfield’s ninth tax increment financing district along a struggling section of MacArthur Boulevard were introduced to aldermen this week.

Mayor Mike Houston said he believes the area will meet the requirements needed to be designated as a TIF district.  “The real secret in terms of dealing with something along MacArthur is limiting the boundaries,” he said.

The city is targeting MacArthur Boulevard from South Grand Avenue to Summit Avenue.  Houston said the TIF district area would include both sides of MacArthur — from alley to alley – but include only properties that front the street. The troubled MacArthur Park Apartments probably won’t be included in the district, Houston said.

The proposal is sponsored by Ward 6 Ald. Cory Jobe and Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin, whose wards include MacArthur Boulevard.

“I support a TIF for the area because it is critical to create incentives that will help attract development to the inner city,” Jobe said. “A TIF can also help toward beautification efforts along the boulevard as identified in the Lakota Group Master Plan.”

Aldermen next month also will vote on a contract with Peckham, Guyton, Albers & Viets Inc. to serve as the city’s consultant on creation of the district. The city’s cost is estimated at $15,000.

“With the passage of both ordinances, what we would be in the position to do is to have a consultant begin the work to certify that we can meet the requirements of the tax increment district,” Houston said. “Once we’ve met the requirements, we then have to turn information into the state and have it approved.”

That process can take more than a year.

Read the full story, including “What is a TIF?” at SJ-R.com…

THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER, Posted Aug 15, 2011
…

The 188-unit complex generates complaints as a hot spot for crime, residents complain of neglect, the city vows to take action and the apartments’ owner — James Green Management of Granite City — promises improvements to the property, better the screening of tenants, enhanced security. The improvements never arrive. Actually, the most recent chapter in the grim history of this crumbling, neglected property is slightly different. After city inspectors last week issued 55 pages worth of building code violations, Green Management issued no pledge to implement a new plan to rehabilitate the complex. It’s been unavailable for comment.

And it also has a different, and we believe, much more satisfactory ending, as the city gave the owner an ultimatum to bring the apartment buildings up to code or face further action.

“If this property owner fails to make progress, I’m sure our legal department will bring this property owner to his knees,” said Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin, who spearheaded the inspection effort. It took a search warrant obtained at the behest of McMenamin, in whose ward MacArthur Park is located, for city inspectors to get into the complex. Previously, they had been denied access to the seven vacant, four-unit buildings inspected last week. What they found was outrageous but hardly surprising considering the history of neglect at MacArthur Park. In less than an hour, inspectors placed “unsafe and dangerous” placards on six of the units.

Piles of trash, exposed wiring, holes in walls and missing floorboards were among the many problems city officials noted. The city gave Green Management a week to obtain building permits to fix the electrical, mechanical, plumbing and housing violations and 10 days to register the buildings as vacant. If these conditions aren’t met, the city will take further action in court.

Kudos to McMenamin for initiating a process that will not end in more empty promises from an absentee landlord.

Speaking of outrageous, mortgage records show the owner borrowed $8 million against MacArthur Park in 2008, McMenamin found. This would have been around the time that, by our headline narrative, improvement plans at the property were “behind schedule.”

For more than a decade, this complex has been arguably the most egregious example of absentee landlord neglect in the city. The process that started last week must become an example to other out-of-town property owners that Springfield will not tolerate neglect and will no longer accept lip service about improvements that never arrive.

Read the full story at SJ-R.com…

y TIM LANDIS (tim.landis@sj-r.com), THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER,Posted Aug 11, 2011

Read the full story at SJ-R.com…

The survey of parking demand on MacArthur boulevard conducted by the Regional Planning office in 2010 in conjunction with the Lakota Group’s Redevelopment Plan “did not find any present lack of parking at the sites studied; in fact, surplus parking was available at all sites for all peak periods surveyed. Several of the business parking sites were busy during the peak hours reviewed, but very rarely above 50%, and most often much less.”

Read the full report… (PDF)

7/8/2010 By Rachel Wells for Illinois Times

The catchphrase in city planning is no longer “urban sprawl” – a term that automatically turns too many people off from discussing environmentally friendly development. Instead, the conversation now focuses on “smart growth,” says Dr. Deanna Glosser.

To Glosser, president of Riverton-based Environmental Planning Solutions, Inc., urban sprawl is synonymous with a proliferation of impervious surfaces, such as asphalt parking lots, and the need for residents to spend more time driving their cars. The eventual result of that kind of development – increased flooding, more polluted waters and poorer air quality – is what smart growth aims to avoid.

“I’m glad we’re dealing more with the term ‘smart growth’ right now,” says Paul O’Shea, the city of Springfield’s planning and design coordinator. He and Glosser served as panelists at a recent Sustainable Springfield discussion on smart growth. O’Shea says that when he first expressed concern about urban sprawl in the capital city about four decades ago, residents’ most common reaction was disbelief that Springfield could have such a problem. “I think understanding the term ‘smart growth’ is more effective.”

O’Shea points to Springfield’s MacArthur Boulevard and Enos Park as great opportunities for infill development.

Read the full story at the Illinois Times…

7/01/2010 By Rachel Wells, Illinois Times
At the very least, businesses on MacArthur Boulevard should and could start adding grass, trees and shrubs to their properties as a way to make the thoroughfare more welcoming to Springfield visitors, says John LaMotte with The Lakota Group.

One of the city planners hired with grant funding to help create a redevelopment plan for the MacArthur corridor, LaMotte is working on a revitalization proposal for what he calls a “tired” street.

“The physical conditions [of MacArthur Boulevard] are so in your face … that the street has been losing customers for years, not just because there’s been so much growth to the west but because it’s just not an attractive place to go,” LaMotte says. “You’ve got to get in and get out.”

With only short pieces of curb separating driveway after wide driveway, the asphalt road blends into the cement that makes up front yards of a number of businesses. But the street could become safer and businesses could look more inviting if owners switched to shared parking lots behind buildings, allowing for wider easements in the front where grass and trees could grow, LaMotte says.

He presented to a workshop of business owners and community members last week draft plans that also call for façade improvements, completing the sidewalk network and reducing the number of curb cuts.

Read the full story at the Illinois Times…

By TIM LANDIS, THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER, Posted May 15, 2010

South Side Christian Church’s 2006 storm-relief efforts have “…rolled over into a key role for the nearly 70-year-old church in plans to revitalize MacArthur Boulevard from South Grand Avenue to Wabash Avenue”, according to Tim Landis of the State Journal Register.

One of the outgrowths of the church’s partnership with the MacArthur Boulevard Business Association has been a neighborhood “big block bash” on the church parking lot. Businesses along the boulevard were invited to participate in the second year of the event last year, said worship minister Daniel Shelton. “We want to give in the summertime just a chance for our community to gather together and eat some hotdogs, kids playing and listen to some music, and just to enjoy summer in kind of a carnival atmosphere,” said Shelton. Last year’s event drew about 1,000 people, he said, “and probably 80 percent of them are people we don’t see on a regular basis.” The event, scheduled this year for July 18, also plays a role in the spiritual mission of the church, said Shelton.”

Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church at 1725 S. Walnut St. also is a member of the boulevard association, said chairman Cory Jobe. Churches bring a different perspective to the issue of retail and commercial development and neighborhood preservation, he said. “They are an independent voice, if you will. Consumers might also get a sales job from a business. It just goes hand in hand, and we’re glad to have both churches involved,” said Jobe.

Read the full story at the SJ-R…

State Journal Register
May 4, 2010
…
MUCH AS WE’RE encouraged by the new development this project is all but sure to generate, we also are hopeful that it can fulfill hopes for revitalizing the existing commercial strip of MacArthur north of Wabash Avenue.

We’ve heard for years that this project, once complete, would breathe new life into a commercial corridor that has struggled in recent years in large part because of the westward movement to which Davlin referred. Certainly, there is potential for that.

“We know the south will get the big-box retail, but we feel we can foster good entrepreneurial businesses on the north,” said Cory Jobe, president of the MacArthur Boulevard Business Association.

THAT PATTERN would mirror the west-side development that followed the large retail stores there in the 1980s and 1990s. It’s a goal worth hoping for, and we hope the optimism of city officials and business groups proves founded. Coordinated planning and promotion by city and business interests will be essential if that is to happen.

Those efforts will determine whether the existing commercial corridor shares in the new prosperity or merely becomes a pass-through on the way to and from it.
Read the full story at the SJ-R…

By Tim Landis
April 29, 2010
Planning is nearly complete for the MacArthur Boulevard extension. Part II.  …design work is well along to take the road another three-quarters of a mile south to Woodside Road in the next five years.
The planning is largely complete. … We’re beginning to look at land acquisition and funding,” said county highway engineer Tim Zahrn.

ICC spokeswoman Beth Bosch said, aside from the funding question, a lot has to fall into place for the project to begin in the next five years.
If money becomes available, the next phase is scheduled to start in 2014 with a new intersection at Iron Bridge and Woodside roads, between Springfield and Chatham, that would account for nearly $30 million of the total cost.  ICC funding, which comes from the state motor-fuel tax, pays only for the crossing improvements, such as signals, gates and grade.  That leaves a major chunk of the $34.1 million yet to be funded.

The Woodside Road project is in both the state and local five-year transportation plans, which set priorities for funding. In this case, the initial plan is with the Illinois Commerce Commission, which regulates rail crossings.

Among its key elements:

• An underpass to take Woodside Road beneath the Union Pacific railroad.
• An overpass that would take the next section of MacArthur — and a bike path — over the railroad.
• Move the entire intersection slightly to the west.

Read the full story on the SJ-R website…

By TIM LANDIS, THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER
Posted Jan 30, 2010 @ 11:00 PM, Last update Jan 31, 2010 @ 07:45 AM

KERASOTES THEATRES actually plans to sell four local movie houses.

The Esquire Theatre, which has been empty since 2003, also will be sold as part of an agreement announced early this month by Kerasotes to sell all but a handful of its 973 theaters nationwide to AMC Entertainment of Kansas City, Mo.

“They will own it once we complete closing,” said Tony Kerasotes, chairman and CEO of the Chicago-based chain.

…

As for the former Esquire, Kerasotes said there has been interest off-and-on, but there are no immediate prospects.

“There have been people kick the tires from time to time, but nothing serious,” he said.

Read the full story at SJ-R.com…

THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER, Posted Jan 21, 2010 @ 12:07 AM

THERE MAY BE no neighborhood group in Springfield more passionate about improving its surroundings than the MacArthur Boulevard Business Association.

The decline of MacArthur Boulevard is a civic calamity for Springfield and one of the most unfortunate results of an utter lack of urban planning and the unchecked march westward of the city’s developers and businesses.

IT’S TRUE that government and private property owners have allowed the area’s infrastructure to decline. Just walking down the street’s crumbling sidewalks can be an adventure. But it’s truly puzzling why few seem to want to reinvest there considering the neighborhoods that surround the road.

On the east side of MacArthur Boulevard is a greatly desired, middle-class, family neighborhood. Housing is affordable and there is a measurable sense of community. On MacArthur’s west side is Leland Grove, an affluent suburb and one of Springfield’s most desirable addresses. There are two schools in the area — Blessed Sacrament and Butler Elementary — within walking distance or a short drive. Oh, and 21,000 cars (and potential customers) drive on MacArthur every day.

This page enthusiastically supports a $95,000 study being paid for with federal housing money to help figure out how to redevelop the area.

Read full story at SJ-R.com…

Lakota Group Selected to Lead MacArthur Boulevard Study
Friday, January 15, 2010
Cory Jobe, President
Springfield, Illinois
The MacArthur Boulevard Business Association (MBBA) today announced that the Chicago-based Lakota Group has been selected as the consultants to lead the redevelopment planning effort along the Boulevard.

Attending the press conference along with MBBA merchant members and area neighborhood residents were local city and county leaders, elected officials, and U.S. Congressman John Shimkus, who sponsored the HUD grant.

Read the full story… (PDF)

Saturday, January 09, 2010

The MacArthur Boulevard Business Association (MBBA) is pleased to announce that the Chicago-based Lakota Group has been selected as the consultants to lead the redevelopment planning effort along the Boulevard area. The project will be managed by the Springfield-Sangamon County Regional Planning Commission and funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development sponsored by U.S. Congressman John Shimkus (R-Collinsville).

Read the full story… (PDF)

The first phase of a six-lane road linking MacArthur Boulevard to Interstate 72 is expected to cost nearly $22.5 million, including six bridges, a new interchange, road-relocation and preserving a bicycle path.

Bids for the groundwork and infrastructure were opened early March 2007 by the Illinois Department of Transportation. A second round of bids will be taken for paving, sidewalks and traffic signals, possibly early next year.

The first phase of the project should be completed by the end of 2008. This phase of the project would be paid for with a combination of federal, state and city funds. The City of Springfield’s share is expected to be at least $4.5 million, though much of that could be covered by federal grants.

Illinois Department of Transportation officials expect paving, sidewalk and traffic-signal bids to be taken early 2008 and the second phase completed by the end of 2009.

Highlights of the first phase

• Groundwork for a two-mile, six-lane road from near the south end of MacArthur Boulevard to Interstate 72.
• A new interstate interchange. Recreation Drive will be relocated to an intersection with the MacArthur extension immediately south of the interchange.
• Four new bridges. One over the Norfolk Southern railroad, one to take MacArthur over I-72, an eastbound on-ramp bridge and a westbound off-ramp bridge. Two existing bridges also will be rebuilt.
• The Interurban Trail bike path will be taken over the Norfolk Southern railroad and under I-72 to continue the link to Chatham.
• Construction is expected to begin this spring and should be completed by the end of 2008. A second phase is scheduled for completion in 2009.

Click here to view a map of the proposed extension.

Sources:
Illinois Department of Transportation
The State Journal – Register

By TIM LANDIS
THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER
Oct 08, 2009

A nine-month study of ways to preserve the best of MacArthur Boulevard and improve the worst should get started at about the same time the MacArthur extension is completed.

Springfield-Sangamon County Regional Planning Commission executive director Norm Sims said Thursday study proposals will be accepted through the end of this month and a consultant selected by the end of the year.

Read full story…

1/12/2009
Springfield, IL – For the third year in a row, Design Ideas returned to MacArthur Boulevard to hold their annual Holiday Store in the former CVS building in the Town & Country Shopping Center. This year, Design Ideas decided to have the Holiday Store open to the public for a total of 28 days. Last year the store was open to the public for a total of 10 days.

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11/25/2008
A series of town hall meetings are planned to discuss the city’s infrastructure needs. The information gathered at the town hall meetings will be shared with the City of Springfield Public Affairs & Safety Sub-Committee on Infrastructure.

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11/19/2008
Springfield, IL-A coalition of MacArthur area businesses, schools and neighbors invites the entire city to SHARE THE SPIRIT OF THE SEASON! No matter where you live, work or attend school, members of the MacArthur Boulevard Business Association want you to help SHARE THE SPIRIT OF THE SEASON: Together we can restock the shelves at the Salvation Army food pantry. Bring non-perishable food donations to these MacArthur area churches / businesses between Monday, December 1st and continuing through Wednesday December 31st.

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11/19/2008
For the third year in a row, Design Ideas has chosen to hold their annual Holiday Store on MacArthur Boulevard in the former CVS building in the Town & Country Shopping Center. Last year the store had nearly 10,000 transactions in 10 days, enabling them to donate $5,000 each to the three participating local charities: Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Illinois Capital Region, Illinois Symphony Orchestra, and Sparc.

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5/29/2008
Springfield, IL-The MacArthur Boulevard Business Association (MBBA) is pleased to announce that Tri Star Marketing, Inc. has completed the renovation of the Super Pantry store located at 1940 S. MacArthur Blvd.

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4/25/2008
On a national level, the recent increases in home foreclosures and new restrictions on financing have caused hardships for many Americans. However, these events have also brought to light many of the problems created by predatory lending practices and a growing backlash against unscrupulous businesses that take advantage of a marginalized population with few other options.

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4/25/2008
The MacArthur Boulevard Business Association (MBBA), an organization formed in 2006 to help promote the revitalization of the MacArthur area, has reached its initial goal of 100 members.

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12/14/2007
During the 10 day sale period, there were approximately 6200 transactions that took place, equating to more than 600 customers a day!

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12/14/2007
A nearly 50-year-old service station and convenience store at MacArthur Boulevard and Ash Street should have a new look by next summer, including a larger store, landscaping and toned-down lighting.

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5/13/2007
A Chicago development company is taking another run at the notion of upscale retail shops – including Starbucks and a neighborhood grocery store – at MacArthur Boulevard and South Grand Avenue.

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