The former Pillsbury Mills plant on the north east side of Springfield closed 20 years ago. The 18-acre property has significant legal entanglements and is known to be contaminated with asbestos and lead paint. The surrounding neighborhoods are among the most severely impoverished in Springfield.
Removal of existing structures and redevelopment of the site will provide the area with public safety, environmental, health, justice, and economics benefits.
Moving Pillsbury Forward (MPF) has positioned itself to coordinate redevelopment of the 18-acre site.
The Pillsbury project is large and complex but manageable. The project is reasonable and workable with the coordination provided by Moving Pillsbury Forward. It is also clearly worth the effort.
Doing nothing is the worst possible outcome. A successful outcome will require significant support from both public and private sources – and the support of the entire Springfield community. Please join us.
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Made in Springfield
Friends, These cold winter days have given us a chance to sift through the archives and find some fun facts about local manufacturing. When the Springfield Pillsbury plant was initially built in 1929, they utilized local companies to supply manufacturing products made in Springfield. It was an era in our Springfield history where manufacturing was
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Dyngus Day and More
Friends, We had never heard of Dyngus Day until we had a recent interview with a former Springfield Pillsbury employee. He told us that this Polish American holiday was a contractual holiday with the local Springfield grain miller’s union for many years. Dyngus Day celebrates the end of the often-restrictive observance of lent and the
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2025 Accomplishments
Friends, 2025 was another year of great accomplishments for Moving Pillsbury Forward and the Pillsbury Project. This was the year where we turned the site over to contractors for large-scale cleanup and demolition. Pillsbury Neighborhood alleyways and vacant lots became the new focus for volunteer activities. Volunteers removed trash, bulky items, brush, and limbs from
Read more Pillsbury Project News…
Read more about Moving Pillsbury Forward…
Read more about the Pillsbury Mills site…
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“Pillsbury: Past, Present, and Future”
Chris Richmond, retired Fire Marshall in Springfield, IL and creator of the group Moving Pillsbury Forward, gives a PechaKucha presentation on “Pillsbury: Past, Present, and Future” as part of Springfield Inner City Older Neighborhoods’ (ICON) Annual Party Fundraiser 2019.