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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News & Updates May 2025
Friends, Moving Pillsbury Forward continues to see good progress both at the former Pillsbury site and around the entire Pillsbury Neighborhood. About a dozen local laborers have been working each weekday at the site preparing for and removing asbestos floor tiles in buildings these past two weeks. This work will continue for several more weeks…
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It’s Happening
Friends, Moving Pillsbury Forward has had a busy early Spring. We have contractors on site working on cleanup activities, our scheduled public meeting took place this past week, and our volunteers with Team Pillsbury have moved outside the fence line at Pillsbury. Select Demolition crews have been on-site staging equipment and setting up for silo…
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Public Meeting April 9th, Lanphier High School
Friends, Moving Pillsbury Forward has scheduled a Community Q&A Meeting. Purpose: To provide an overview of the means and methods for asbestos abatement and demolition work and answer questions. Who: Contractors, Environmental Consultants, invited guests, and YOU When: Wednesday, April 9, 2025 / 6pm (doors open at 5:30pm) Where: Lanphier High School Auditorium MPF held…
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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.