Category: News

Friends,

Moving Pillsbury Forward has partnered with the Illinois Symphony Orchestra for a truly special event at Pillsbury (1525 Phillips Ave.) on the evening of September 14. The great community response to our arts events at the site over the past year have been an incredible addition to the overall Pillsbury Project. While we remain focused on seeing cleanup, demolition, and renewal at the site, we have also seen what the addition of arts can do in improving the overall quality of life in our community. And…that is where our partnerships with the community are most meaningful. We hope to see you on September 14.

Go Beyond the Stage with your Illinois Symphony Orchestra at the Pillsbury Factory

The Illinois Symphony Orchestra (ISO) goes Beyond the Stage with new concert experiences that take YOU to unique venues for immersive, themed ensemble performances. From factory and warehouse settings to mansions and yoga studios, Listen Live, be surprised, and experience the artistry of the ISO like you have never experienced it before. Executive Director Trevor Orthmann states, “We are very excited to launch our Beyond the Stage performances at the Pillsbury Factory, working with Moving Pillsbury Forward, to create an experience combining music, art, and food in this unique setting.”

Our inaugural Beyond the Stage concert experience is set for Saturday, September 14, 2024, at the former Pillsbury Factory located on the northeast side of Springfield, Illinois. The ISO’s Percussion Ensemble and Piano Trio, featuring Piano, Violin, Viola, will perform in the C-mill of the old Pillsbury Mills. Local Artist Robert Mazrim said, “the musicians will be surrounded by the spray-painted murals created by local artists, as well as the rich patina of the 87-year-old factory floor, which will provide for a unique acoustic experience beyond the traditional concert hall.”

This ticketed event includes the performance experience and hors d’oeuvres catered by Conn’s Catering along with a cash bar. The event is co-hosted by Moving Pillsbury Forward with all the event proceeds supporting the Illinois Symphony Orchestra.

Go Beyond the Stage on Saturday, September 14, 2024, at the Pillsbury Factory. Gates will open at 6:00 PM with the performance beginning at 7:00 PM. Purchase tickets at ilsymphony.org/Pillsbury. Single tickets are $40 per person prior to the event and $50 per person at the gate (Cards Only).

Beyond the Stage at the Pillsbury Factory is in partnership with Moving Pillsbury Forward. Vice President Polly Poskin said, “we are thrilled to partner with the ISO on this next concert experience. It’s like having a prime seat to the premier of this new immersive concert experience.” Proceeds from the event will go to support your Illinois Symphony Orchestra.

For more information about the ISO, go to ilsymphony.org.

Thanks for being a part of this important community project.

~ Team Pillsbury

Friends,

A big piece of the Pillsbury Project financial puzzle has come together…Thank you EPA for being such a great partner in our progress!

Moving Pillsbury Forward is pleased to announce that the Pillsbury Project has been awarded the full $2,652,300 we applied for through the EPA Brownfield Cleanup Grant Program. With this award we now have the resources necessary to fully remediate (cleanup) the remaining environmental hazards at the former Pillsbury site. And…begin demolition of the remaining structures.

MPF anticipates that the necessary government reviews of our remediation and demolition plan will be completed in the coming weeks. Following that, we will hire contractors and move to get the structures at the site remediated and demolished. We are aiming at having these large-scale site activities begin in the Fall.

We are grateful to the many community partners that have stepped up and moved this project forward. Locally, the Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance (SSGA) and the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln (CFLL) have been strong supporting partners from the beginning. The City of Springfield and Sangamon County have embraced and supported the project. At the State level, Senator Turner has led a strong effort and been one of our first community supporters. At the Federal level, Senator Durbin and Representative Budzinski have been tremendous in their support. And, again locally, the hundreds of community members that encouraged and supported progress.

Springfield Mayor Misty Buscher, whose administration has been instrumental in getting committed funds readied for use on the project said “The EPA’s selection of Moving Pillsbury Forward in Springfield for a $2,652,300 Brownfields Cleanup grant is a significant development. This funding will be instrumental in revitalizing the former Pillsbury plant, a site with a history in grain milling, manufacturing, and warehousing operations from 1929 to 2001. This 18-acre complex holds tremendous potential for our community.“

How did this happen? With the coordinated efforts of a grassroots, community-centered, working group that formed into a not-for-profit. Members of our community that care about health and safety, care about social and environmental justice, and care about moving the whole community forward economically. 

Thanks for being a part of this important community project.

~ Team Pillsbury

Link to EPA Announcement 5/20/24: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-announces-more-17-million-brownfield-grants-through-investing-america-agenda

Friends,

We just wanted to share a few items today.  

Memorial Day Open House Reminder

We are hosting a Memorial Day (5/17) Open House from 9:00 to Noon. The dock area (16ht St. & Phillips Ave.) will be open for viewing of the “Roll Call” wall and a new street art tribute to former Pillsbury workers. Many families with connections to Pillsbury have expressed an interest. We hope this gives everyone a chance to gather and reconnect with friends. Hope to see you there.

Recycling of Bricks

The total ended up being over 500 tons! This past month we connected with a brick recycler who brought in a crew and harvest brick from the remains of Warehouses #4 and #5. Over 20 semi-truck loads of brick left the site and will be used in new construction in the coming months. Here are the numbers: 600 stacked bricks per pallet. 332 full pallets of bricks. 199,200 total bricks!
Each pallet weighed approximately 3,075 pounds. 1,020,900 total pounds! And…at no cost to us…wonderful. 

Metal Recycling

Volunteers have hand-loaded and recycled nearly 50 tons of loose metal from the site since January 1st. Yah…that’s a lot of metal…about twelve 20-yard dumpsters full. This was our on-site volunteer focus for the past four months. A huge effort completed by some wonderful volunteers – thank you! 

Pillsbury Neighborhood Spring Clean Up

A big success. Thank You! Volunteer Med Students from SIU teamed up with Pillsbury Neighborhood volunteers to do a Spring clean up in the 55-block neighborhood on May 3rd. The effort collected over 50 pieces of junk furniture, 30 televisions, 75 used tires, and filled a 30-yard dumpster of collected litter by the end of the day. Special thanks to our Neighborhood Police Officers for participating and to Public Works for efficiently hauling the junk away!

Feral Cat Population Management

We partnered with APL in February and March to address our feral cat challenge at Pillsbury. Over the course of a few weeks, Larry the Cat Wrangler was successful in trapping several feral cats. Each cat was spayed or neutered then released back to the property. Thanks APL for providing such a great service to our community!

April Historic Tours

What a great turnout! We had good weather both Saturdays in April. Nearly 600 people took one of our four tours. We heard several new stories and had a generally great time. Pillsbury truly was a special part of our community.

Thanks for being a part of this important community project.

~ Team Pillsbury