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 approximately 15 blocks of alleyways and 40 vacant lots. In coordination with the City of Springfield Public Works Department, we were able to advance the general appearance of the neighborhood and increase health and safety throughout the area.
Here are several of our highlights in brief:
- MPF volunteers completed a bulky item neighborhood cleanup in January
- MPF signed cleanup contract with Select Demo in March
- MPF signed a building demolition contract with GreenTrac in March
- MPF held a Public Meeting at Lanphier High School in April
- The Locker Room Building and Warehouse #1 were fully demolished in May
- MPF trained with the new City of Springfield See Click Fix reporting application in June
- The Historic Context Report for the Pillsbury site was finalized in July
- EPA Regional Administrator Anne Vogel visited the Pillsbury site in July
- Two MPF members attended the National Brownfields Conference in August
- MPF gave a project update to City Council in August
- MPF partnered with SIU-Med Students on a cleanup day in August
- Large-scale demolition began when the smokestack was demolished in September
- The Grocery Mix Building was fully demolished in October.
- Governor Pritzker visited the Pillsbury site in October.
- The Turbo Building was demolished in November
- Select Demolition completed all asbestos abatement in November
- The AB-Mill water tower came down in November
- Editing of a soon-to-be-released Pillsbury Photo book was completed in December
Download the 2025 accomplishments as a PDF…
The Pillsbury Project is much more than working through the difficult mechanics of demolishing buildings and moving toward redevelopment. The Pillsbury Project is about people coming together, taking control of a tough situation, and improving the quality of life in Springfield.
Thank you! We appreciate everyone being a part of advancing the Pillsbury Project.
~ Team Pillsbury