Author: joeward7

Mary Hansen
The State Journal-Register

A proposal for a downtown casino in Springfield is taking shape at the Statehouse, but questions remain about whether the last-minute effort can gain enough support in the waning days of the spring session. Mayor Jim Langfelder and a majority of the Springfield City Council sent a letter lobbying for the license to members of the General Assembly and Gov. Bruce Rauner.

The letter could help convince other local legislators to back the casino, according to lobbyist and developer Chris Stone, who is pushing for a gambling spot downtown. Announced Monday, his proposal included

Joe McMenamin and Cohen-Esrey Affordable Partners celebrate the newly renovated Boulevard Townhomes at 2715 S. MacArthur Boulevard.

Tim Landis
The State Journal-Register

Bernard Schoenburg
The State Journal-Register

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New owners of the former KMART and the adjoining SHERWOOD PLAZA shopping center on Wabash Avenue have begun filing for renovation permits, Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin said Thursday during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Boulevard Townhomes.

New York real-estate investment group Seritage Growth Properties acquired the Kmart building and Sherwood Plaza shortly after the Wabash Kmart closed. Plans filed

Tim Landis
The State Journal-Register

City inspectors, search warrant in hand, declared half of 188 units in the former MacArthur Park Apartments uninhabitable after a building-code raid in the summer of 2011, including six units declared unsafe within the first hour. New owners have invested approximately $18 million to repair both the apartments and the area’s reputation.

The newly named Boulevard Townhomes, 2715 S. MacArthur Blvd., opened for tours Thursday of local elected officials, housing and business representatives as new

Mary Hansen
The State Journal-Register

Developers succeeded in lobbying for changes to how the city of Springfield approves plans for apartment or office complexes and shopping plazas.

The Springfield City Council increased the size of developments that require council sign-off from any project over 5 acres to any larger than 12 acres, meaning that smaller proposals that don’t need rezoning could skip aldermanic review. All projects would still have to meet building and zoning standards.

Attempts by Mayor Jim Langfelder to keep the threshold at

Mary Hansen
The State Journal-Register

Concern is growing over proposed changes to how the city of Springfield approves development of new apartments, shopping plazas and offices.

A measure before the Springfield City Council would increase the size of projects that require council sign-off, meaning that smaller projects that don’t need rezoning could skip council review. All projects would still have to meet building and zoning standards.

Developers and aldermen lobbying for the change say it will shorten and simplify

Richard Leary
The State Journal-Register

Springfield city officials are changing the decades-old design for Hunter Lake. They are considering reducing the lake capacity from about 21 million gallons per day to around 12 million gallons.

A smaller second lake would still meet the city’s projected water needs over the next nearly 50 years, according to the engineering firm the city has hired to assist with the study. Thus a 42 percent reduction in volume is justified.

Mary Hansen
The State Journal-Register

Downtown Springfield could see a new salon and a long-awaited children’s museum thanks to help from the city, but not before the projects’ backers answer some tough questions from aldermen.

After requests for tax increment financing funds for the proposed salon and museum sailed through the city’s Economic Development Commission Tuesday morning, the Springfield City Council debated how funding the two projects would help downtown at their committee meeting Tuesday night.

Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin questioned