Springfield ICON

Independent Coalition for Our Neighborhoods

Hall of Fame

  • ICON Good Neighbor Awards: 2016 nominations open until Oct. 31

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    ICON’s Good Neighbor Awards celebrate individuals, organizations and businesses who are making a difference in older neighborhoods. Nominations are now open for the 2016 awards. Winners will be our guests and recognized at our Holiday Party Fundraiser on December 12. Find out more… Icon members: submit a nomination…

  • Kudos to Mayor Langfelder for improved communications and a new round of Ward Meetings

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    We appreciate Mayor Langfelder’s increased attention to communication that came out of the 2015 Ward Meetings, especially the weekly emails to neighborhood leaders with street closures and other information. City of Springfield Upcoming Construction, Branch Pickup and Events20160812 The new city website is an improvement over the interim site, but we could use fewer large…

  • Chamber’s District 186 School Report shows mismatch between perception and reality

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    Kudos to the SJ-R, which ran a editorial today on the new report from the Chamber – and also to District 186 Superintendent Jennifer Gill, who requested the survey, and the Chamber (GSCC.org), which surveyed businesses about their perceptions about local Springfield schools.  But the Chamber went a step further, creating a task force that…

  • Don’t Take Infrastructure for Granted – Fred Coombe

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    Kudos to Fred Coombe, who is involved with the MacArthur Boulevard Association, for his guest column in the SJ-R today. Fred writes: As Americans, we take for granted our public infrastructure and the workers that maintain these systems. Our infrastructure is among the most reliable in the world… We are the fortunate beneficiaries of a…

  • New Springfield City Arborist & Recommended Tree Lists

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    At the Harvard Park Neighborhood Association meeting on April 20, we heard from Springfield City Arborist Jeffrey Reim, who provided the following lists of trees for possible use by Springfield residents. Central Illinois trees, with indications based on location and environment… Download the recommended tree list… Download the undesirable tree list… Springfield ICON will be…

  • ICON supports Chronic Nuisance Landlord Ordinance

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    Springfield ICON submitted the following guest editorial to the SJ-R that was published Saturday, March 19 in the SJ-R. Look for more on problem properties coming soon. It’s time to fix our problem properties What’s it like to see the house next door sell for half of what it did 10 years ago? What’s it…

  • Kudos to City Treasurer Misty Buscher for collecting overdue fines via tax refunds!

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    We heard at the March 8 Springfield City Council Committee of the Whole meeting that Treasurer Misty Buscher is now collecting housing violation fines by withholding tax refunds. From the Jan 16 SJ-R: Through the Illinois Debt Recovery Offset Portal, the state can withhold tax refunds to people who owe money to a municipality and…

  • Citizen’s Club Forum on Annexation

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    Kudos to the Citizen’s Club of Springfield for an informative forum on the City of Springfield’s plans to annex unincorporated areas of less than 60 acres wholly surrounded by the City, so-called “donut holes”. Thanks to the Citizen’s Club for an informative forum that expanded my understanding of this issue. I look forward to taking…

  • Dollar General Landscaping, Bowling Green KY

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    Here’s the image of the Dollar General in Bowling Green. Several things to notice in this photo, which was taken on an affordable housing tour during the Regional Neighborhood Network Conference (RNNC): Fantastic landscaping for both the Dollar General Store & the Napa Auto Parts Store in the background Short street sign for Dollar General…

  • Key gateway property – Esquire Theater Coming Down (slowly)

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    Finally, the Esquire is coming down – a little more slowly than we expected maybe, thanks to its solid construction. The MacArthur Boulevard Association, with the support of six other inner city neighborhood groups, has contacted Kroger, parent company of the anticipated future Ruler Foods grocery, asking for “a meeting… to discuss the plans for…

  • Congratulations to Enos Park, The Springfield Project on Demolition Grants

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    The Enos Park Neighborhood Association and The Springfield Project have won a $280,000 grant to purchase and demolish blighted properties in Springfield. The state program is intended to reduce foreclosures and stabilize neighborhoods by aiding not-for-profit housing groups and local governments rid areas of vacant properties. Read the full story at SJ-R.com…

  • Key Gateway Property: Bel-Aire Motel comes down

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    We hope Harvard Park Neighborhood Association gets to keep the Bel-Aire seal for a park or greenspace.  Meantime, we’re posting photos of the demolition.  Kudos to the City and to Harvard Park for working to improve the area. More info at SJ-R.com… Now the City and developers need to put some effort and intentionality into…

  • Key Gateway Property: Gas Station Corner of Walnut & N Grand Demolished

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    Kudos to the City of Springfield & the owner of the property on the SE corner of Walnut and N Grand for demolishing this long-vacant property seen by nearly every visitor to Springfield who comes in through the airport.

  • Enos Park Success in Cleaning up Problem Properties

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    Congratulations to Enos Park for their recent success using direct legal action against problem property owners living within 1200 feet of Enos Park LLC properties! The lawsuits were filed in mid-August, under a section of the Illinois Municipal Code that gives property owners the right to seek legal remedies if a property within 1,200 feet…

  • ICON Featured in City of Springfield Neighborhood News Oct-Dec, 2014

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    Thanks to Abby Walden and the City of Springfield for featuring ICON in their new edition of Neighborhood News for Oct-Dec 2014.  An excerpt is below. Download the City-of-Springfield-Neighborhood-News-October-December 2014… INNER CITY OLDER NEIGHBORHOODS NEIGHBORHOOD SPOTLIGHT Carol Kneedler, Chair of the Springfield ICON, provides some insight and information about ICON and their impact on the…

  • ICON Thanks City Council for Infrastructure Improvements

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    Sharon Riffey’s address to City Council on behalf of ICON given on Tuesday, September 2, 2014 Every action has its effect. This is certainly true regarding infrastructure. Thank you Mayor Houston and members of the City Council for the action of passing the ordinances necessary for funding infrastructure improvements. Thank you, Director Mark Mahoney and…

  • Enos Park Sues Problem Property Owners

    Enos Park Sues Problem Property Owners

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    Enos Park is once again on the forefront of redevelopment in Springfield, taking 3 problem property owners to court in an effort to get properties repaired, demolished or donated to them for relief from crumbling structures, vagrants, and garbage.  The association has the ability to directly sue the property owners because they own property within…

  • H4H to move to old Furrow on S 6th St

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    I’m happy to see Habitat for Humanity will be renovating and moving their Springfield office and ReStore to the old Furrow building at 2744 S. Sixth St, which had been vacant for some time. I’ve donated extra building materials and purchased a few items over the years at the ReStore, back to when they were…

  • Esquire Kudos to Ald McMenamin & Architect Quenette

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    Kudos to Alderman Joe McMenamin and architect Larry Quenette for having a vision for the previous Esquire Theater property at S Grand and MacArthur.  The MacArthur Master Plan calls for mixed use development for this key gateway / crossroads property in Springfield, and while it’s tempting to jump at any chance for redevelopment, a strip…

  • MacArthur / Washington Park crosswalk needed

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    Kudos to resident Britt Holzmacher, Ward 7 Alderman Joe McMenamin, Ward 6 Alderman Cory Jobe, Springfield Public Works, and the Springfield Park District for finally doing something about the dangerous situation in Washington Park at MacArthur Boulevard. Walkable streets are a valuable goal for all of Springfield, as the vision of the recently completed SATS…