ICON News
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GetCovered Open Enrollment at St. John’s February 13-15
Enroll Now Springfield! Need health coverage? Open Enrollment ends February 15. Join us for free, in-person enrollment help! When: February 13, 2015 – 9:00AM – 10:00PM February 14, 2015 – 9:00AM – 6:00PM February 15, 2015 – 9:00AM – 11:00PM Where: St. John’s Children’s Hospital Main Lobby – Yellow Rose Tea Room Entrance off 9th…
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Letter to the Editor: Get Involved – Make a Difference!
The decisions being made today that have the greatest impact on you and your family’s quality of life are those being made, not in Washington DC or state government, but by ten of your next-door neighbors. Do you know who these neighbors are? Have you talked to them? Have you ever seen them at work,…
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City Budget Razes Demolition Efforts
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We’re disappointed that the proposed City of Springfield budget will not match 2014 funds for demolishing Springfield’s worst properties. While we applaud the increased number of properties demolished in the past 4 years, there’s more work to do. With a backlog of properties waiting to be torn down, older Springfield neighborhood residents still live next…
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ICON Annual Meeting/Party Monday, December 15, 7pm
ICON members hosted their Annual Meeting and Holiday Party on Monday December 15 at Obed and Isaac’s. About 30 members and guests enjoyed a delicious buffet and good company. Chair Carol Kneedler provided a summary of ICON activity for 2014 and ICON’s plans for 2015. Download the minutes as a PDF… ICON presented our First…
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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…
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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…
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Rail Flyover – Jim Moll on video
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in ICON NewsProject Manager Jim Moll talks about the Springfield “flyover” on video:
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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…
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SATS – Transportation Improvement Comments open until Oct 7, 2014
SATS has prepared the Draft FY 2015-2018 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) of road, bicycle, pedestrian, and mass transit projects in the Metropolitan Planning Area (MPA). Projects slated for implementation during each year are indicated along with the sources of funding. An Illustrative Projects List is also included to identify projects that are priorities for future…
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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…
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ICON Public Forum on Peoria’s Neighborhood Revitalization – Monday, August 25, 6:30pm
Springfield ICON (Inner City Older Neighborhoods) Coalition hosted a public forum on neighborhood revitalization on Monday, Aug. 25, with special guests from Peoria. Videos and Downloads are below. Peoria Department of Community Development & Neighborhood Revitalization Coordinator In June, the city of Peoria hired a full-time Neighborhood Revitalization Coordinator for its Department of Community Development.…
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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…
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Problem Properties – direct civil action
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in ICON NewsDid you know that as a property owner who lives within 1,200 feet of a property in violation of state or local ordinances, you can sue the negligent property owner directly in civil court, asking for a restraining order, a preliminary injunction,or a permanent injunction? Below is the section of the IL Municipal Code that…
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SJ-R: MacArthur Boulevard Association success worth replicating
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The SJ-R today lauded the MBA’s work in revitalizing the MacArthur Boulevard commercial corridor, writing, “A healthy commercial district is good for nearby neighborhoods and vice versa. The benefits reach residents, business owners, public schools, government coffers, shoppers and visitors. Other aging commercial corridors in Springfield face similar struggles, and those who care about them…
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City Legal interpretation of Chronic Nuisance Ordinance hamstrings Bel-Aire cleanup
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At City Council’s Committee of the Whole last night, aldermen and attendees were told the chronic nuisance ordinance only applies to specific units of a multi-unit residential housing property. Pattern of Renting to Problem Tenants The result is that if the landlord evicts a resident whose actions caused a police report under the ordinance, the…
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Public input meeting – downtown greenspace Monday, 7/14, 5pm
Maldaner’s Restaurant invites you to: downtown parking spaces as seasonal greenspace MONDAY, July 14, 5pm Maldaner’s Restaurant 222 S 6th St., Springfield, IL Come provide input and hear about the latest in urban design and liveable cities. Maldaner’s invites you to find out more about an innovative idea in downtown greenspace: using parking spaces either…
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ICON Neighborhood Picnic June 8 – Lake Park
Come join your neighborhood friends for an afternoon of music, games and summer fun. Make some new friends from throughout Springfield’s older neighborhoods. Sunday June 8, 2014 1:00pm to 6:00 pm Lake Park at Lake Springfield (Off East Lake Drive across from the Henson-Robinson Zoo) We had a great time with neighborhood leaders, Porkpie &…
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ICON to receive Mayor’s Historic Preservation award for Neighborhood Preservation Efforts
ICON is honored to be a recipient of the 2014 Mayor’s Historic Preservation award in the Neighborhood Preservation Efforts category. The Awards were presented on Monday, May 5, at the Lincoln Park Pavilion, 1601 North 5th Street, from 5:30-7:30pm. The award ceremony was held immediately after a short reception. Thank you to Mayor Houston &…
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ICON at Earth Day Springfield on Saturday, April 26
Join Springfield ICON at Earth Day on Saturday, April 26 from 10am to 2pm! Springfield’s Annual Earth Day Celebration is a ZERO WASTE event at Lincoln Park. Bring the family and enjoy food, music and local earth-friendly vendors. Find out about environmental initiatives taking place right here in Springfield!