Springfield Southside slated for updates to help attract new, needed businesses

After the closing of the Kroger and the PNC bank on South Limestone Street in 2020, the City of Springfield had to really reevaluate not only the needs and wants of Southside residents but also how to attract necessary businesses back to the area.

This month, the City entered a redevelopment agreement with Groceryland to renovate and open a new grocery store in the Kroger building, which has been closed since March 2020, leaving Southside residents with little to no options for nearby fresh foods.

Though the City initially thought it would be more likely they would be able to attract a smaller grocer into part of the space and fill the rest of the with a shared-use facility and restaurant locations, similar to COhatch, the plan changed when Groceryland was interested in using the entire 29,000 sq ft space.

“It still leaves the adjoining city-owned lot to maybe have public events, food trucks, or other options,” Assistant City Manager Tom Franzen says.

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