The city of Springfield received a commercial building permit for 600 Rickard Road. Contractor is O’Shea Builders and the project is valued at $400,000. The city of Springfield received  a commercial building permit for 3120 Spaulding Orchard Road. Contractor is O’Shea Builders and the project is valued at $400,000. Grant Holdings II LLC received a commercial accessory structure permit for 3401 Clear Lake Ave. Contractor is Senergy Electric, Inc., and the project is valued at $400,630. 3455 Freedom Drive LLC received a commercial remodel permit for 3455 Freedom Drive. Contractor is B Squa ..read more

Every seat was filled at Sportsman’s Lounge at lunchtime Friday, with the announcement that it would be the final day of operations for the longtime neighborhood restaurant and tavern. The bar has operated under various names since 1935 and as Sportsman’s Lounge since 1957. Four local investors, Greg Sronce, Matthew Davlin, Zach Washko and Dan Moja, purchased the business at 229 W. Mason in March 2021 from Ralph “Pat” Patkus, who had operated the tavern since 2008. It reopened at the end of 2021, following extensive renovations. The building, originally used as a livery stable, dates to the la ..read more

The Railyard, an outdoor food venue based around shipping containers, is expected to open within 30 days. The property is just north of the newly constructed overpass on South Sixth Street, part of the Springfield Rail Improvements Projects. Initially announced in 2021, there have been some adjustments to the original plans. “We were planning on using the 5 Flavors Catering kitchen, but were unable to do so once the business was sold,” said owner Kirk Jefferis, a commercial real estate developer who owns the property at 2242 S. Sixth St. where The Railyard will be located, along with several b ..read more

Express Employment Professionals, in partnership with Frontline Training Solutions, is offering a complimentary webinar, “Maximizing Performance Reviews in the 21st Century,” on Sept. 29 at 11 a.m. In today’s rapidly evolving workplace, traditional performance reviews often fall short in providing the timely and proactive feedback that employees crave. These reviews tend to be backward-looking, assessing past activities and failing to address the present needs and future aspirations of employees. However, effective performance reviews go beyond the mere evaluation of past performance. They enc ..read more

Jawad Qattum received a commercial remodel permit for 806 Black Ave. Contractor is Brian Concrete and the project is valued at $14,800. Wal-Mart Real Estate Business Trust received a commercial permit for 3401 Freedom Drive. Contractor is Truman Contracting, LLC and the project is valued at $1,377,084. JJR Properties LLC received a commercial remodel permit for 3 W. Old Capitol Plaza. Contractor is Andrew Sneed and the project is valued at $18,500. TR PL 13-03847-00 % 4J2R1C Limited Partnership received a commercial remodel permit for 320 W. Washington St. Contractor is O’Shea Builders and the ..read more

A unique retail business has recently transitioned from online-only to a brick-and-mortar location. Fluorescent Reefs opened Aug. 14 at 615 W. Jefferson St., Suite B. “The store is brand-new,” said Dustin Shreves, who co-owns the business with his wife, Jen Shreves. “We were online for about three-and-a-half years; we sold coral on Instagram and also had a website. We had pretty good success doing that, so we decided to open up a retail store.” Shreves said he plans to specialize in products that are not currently available in the Springfield area. “We’re trying to bring in the saltwater fish ..read more

With all due respect to the fine people of Thayer, it’s not a location that’s top of mind for a nice dinner out. But that may be because they haven’t heard of Mick and Mary’s. Mick and Mary’s has had different owners over the years, and the place has ebbed and flowed. My personal favorite was when the restaurant included a hot tub. That’s long gone now (thankfully), and Mick and Mary’s is definitely in the flow state. The restaurant is only open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday. The place is not fancy, but it’s clean and has nice lighting. There’s a bar – which is quite popular and includes ..read more

Craig Tobias has joined Warren-Boynton State Bank as vice president and chief information officer. He previously worked for Marine Bank – now Morton Community Bank – and Illini Bank. He brings more than 27 years of experience in local community banking with a focus in operations and information technology. Tobias graduated from Eastern Illinois University with a degree in finance. He resides in rural Athens with his wife and son. Warren-Boynton State Bank was established in 1877 and remains a locally owned and independent community bank with headquarters in New Berlin and branch offices in Spr ..read more

Waters Edge Winery & Bistro in Jacksonville has closed, but owner Mike Hayes said the property will reopen next month with a different focus. Hayes, a Jacksonville native and real estate developer, opened Waters Edge Winery at 1061 East Morton Ave in May 2021. It was the 19th franchise for the California-based company, which specializes in urban wineries. “Jacksonville was a pretty small market for a Waters Edge,” said Hayes. “I think they just liked our facility and took us on as a trial, but for some time now they’ve been concerned with the numbers that have come out of Jacksonville, com ..read more

By Holly A. Whisler Chris Schmulbach has been a competitor since he was a boy racing motocross. He liked it so much he turned pro and raced Supercross. After years of risk-taking and sustaining numerous broken bones, he decided to retire from racing and play it safe, especially since he was now a husband and father of two. He opened a CrossFit gym in 2013 and currently owns and operates Fitbodies HIIT Training, 3430 Constitution Dr., a high-intensity interval training program. Schmulbach has always been dedicated to his workouts and sharing his passion of health and fitness with others; it bec ..read more