Monthly Meeting
Thursday, Sept 8
7:30 am
Red Cross Building
1045 Outer Park Drive ---------------- Business Event SAVE THE DATE! October 27 evening The Boulevard
Town & Country
Shopping Center |
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News & information about
the MacArthur Area
MBBA President, Debbie Cimarossa
was the coffee and donut sponsor for August.
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| Zoning Change Request for Old Esquire Theatre Parking Lot
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)
There will be a public meeting to discuss the issue on Monday, August 29th at 7pm at Boardman-Smith Funeral Home at 800 S. Grand Avenue West. Alderman Joe McMenamin from Ward 7 hopes to attend. Alderman Cory Jobe from Ward 6 will be in attendance as well as MBBA representatives.
Ward 7 Alderman Joe McMenamin, in whose ward the zoning change is located, has said he has obtained a copy of the rezone petition, and thinks the petition is weak and insubstantial. He said, "However as an alderman, I try to be open minded to constituents' views during the fact gathering and analysis phase of a proposal, and reserve judgment. This particular petition will undergo Zoning staff review, then go to the Springfield Planning and Zoning Commission, then to the City Council. I urge all to express their views along the way. I hope to attend the meeting Aug. 29 and listen."
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.
- 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, www.shoponmacarthur.com and via eNews, including information on meeting dates for the Planning & Zoning Commission and the City Council.
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MBBA Project Update
MBBA Fall Business Event - SAVE THE DATE!
A fall business event is planned for the evening of October 27 at The Boulevard in Town & Country Shopping Center. This event will be combined with a TIF fundraiser. Details to come.
MBBA Committees
Three main committees have been organized for MBBA, with purposes and goals from the MacArthur Master Plan combined with existing MBBA committee descriptions:
- Business Retention, Membership & Marketing
- Aesthetics
- Events & Neighbors
Interested in serving on a committee and helping make MacArthur a better place to live, shop and work?
Please email info@shoponmacarthur.com, call Debbie at 217-753-3013 or sign up at a membership meeting.
Nominating Committee members are selected by the Board. Debbie is contacting people to nominate the next MBBA Board of Directors.
Artist Market
The Artist Market Committee met early in August, and another meeting is planned for October.
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| MACBAC Update
The last MACBAC full meeting was held on August 17 at 5:30pm at South Side Christian Church.
At the MBBA monthly meeting on August 11:
Val Yazell discussed the MACBAC Branding / Marketing / Signage Committee's work, indicating a new logo would be unveiled at the next MACBAC full meeting (Aug 17.) She said MACBAC should be a support group for MBBA, which will outlive the MACBAC Committee. She invited anyone from MBBA to join her committee. MACBAC will have a section of the shoponmacarthur.com website.
A member of the Code Change Committee said there is a zoning hodgepodge on MacArthur, with over 59 variances granted since 1956. The focus of the group will be to work toward consistency, with little real impact to current businesses, which will be grandfathered in.
Glen Yanow from the Streetscape Committee briefly discussed the possibility of the State of IL passing responsibility for MacArthur Boulevard to the City of Springfield. He said "large funds" will be needed to implement the streetscape plan outlined in the Master Plan.
Look for more information on MACBAC on our website at www.shoponmacarthur.com... |
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Government Update
Joe McMenamin, Alderman, Ward7
Joe discussed a MacArthur Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District, saying the ordinance would most likely get a first reading at the next council meeting (Aug. 16), to include an appropriation for a portion of the TIF, with the TIF going to the Committee of the Whole on August 30. Promised donations to date include The Chamber for $10k, Town and Country Shopping Center $10k, Town and Country Bank $3k, Leland Grove $1k. The MBBA has been asked for $10k, with $5k each year for 2 years. The seed money would be paid back from TIF revenue.
Joe talked about MacArthur Park Apartments, to which city inspectors were denied access in July. With a court order, unoccupied buildings were inspected, finding a host of violations and were declared unsafe and uninhabitable. A 55-page letter was sent to the owners with notice of violation, and the owner will have a limited amount of time to make repairs before daily fines begin to accrue. See the MBBA website for more detailed information.
 | | Photo of MacArthur Park Apartments |
Joe's office hours are Tuesday evenings 7:30-9pm and Saturday mornings 9-11am at South Side Christian Church.
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MacArthur Area News
- A new nail salon has opened where the glass shop was.
- Glen Yanow discussed the Shell station, which the owner is not interested in retiring from or selling the business.
- Bushes have been cut down and parking lot holes filled in at the previous Kmart building because the property owner now has a contract with a landscaping company.
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Business Member Spotlight - Roy's Tailors
Skip Costa of Roy's Tailors at 2326 S MacArthur said the shop was the 3rd oldest existing business on MacArthur, having started near the corner of South Grand and MacArthur in 1966, after Town and Country Bank in 1962 and Town and Country Shopping Center in 1964. Skip said the State of IL tried to promote teaching of tailoring in secondary schools in 1985, but the initiative failed due to lack of interest by students.
Although they do custom tailoring, alterations are their main business.
They have recently entered into an agreement with Scheels to provide jeans hemming for high-end blue jeans that uses a special technique that preserves the worn or tumbled appearance of the original hem. At $16.50 each, the special process is more expensive than regular jeans hemming.
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MBBA Membership 2011
Now - pay online!
Online Membership Payment link:
https://ssl.selectpayment.com/cpp/MBBACPP/login.aspx
(Requires use of Internet Explorer browser until fall of 2011.
Copy and paste the above link into your browser.)
The MBBA sends a big thank you to
Town and Country Bank
for providing their
Customer Payment Portal
for use by the MBBA.
The MBBA supports the welfare of MacArthur Boulevard area businesses and promotes, develops and preserves MacArthur Boulevard as a desirable place to work, shop and live.
It is very important that we have the support of area businesses, organizations and neighbors. Everyone in the area benefits from having a vibrant, healthy MacArthur Boulevard.
Please join or renew your membership now!
Membership Application...
Online Membership Payment link:
https://ssl.selectpayment.com/cpp/MBBACPP/login.aspx
(Requires use of Internet Explorer browser until fall of 2011.
Copy and paste the above link into your browser.)
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