SPRINGFIELD ILLINOIS: THE CITY THAT W A S

SPRINGFIELD ILLINOIS: THE CITY THAT W-A-S In the years, followng the closing of the North Grand Avenue Aldi's, as well as North Grand Avenue Walgreens, then Shop and Save, the concern, over the north ends future, began to be placed in an un-wanted spotlight. While the Springfield City Council would, openly, state "There are PLENTY of grocery stores, which remain open, across Springfield", what the city council FAILED to mention was the cost, of transport, for bringing groceries from more distant points. While the future, of even Recycled Records, remained very much in doubt, local churches would try to do what they could, for their members. This would include making sunday, shuttle buses available, during the week, for members. Now, while it was a widely accepted fact that churches "write off" fuel, and other maintenance costs, as non-profit, this long-time practice came under serious scrutiny, once the feds heard that churches were shuttling members, "just" to buy groceries. When churches were asked to itemize sunday shuttle costs, versus grocery shopping costs, churchs found that the feds would NOT re-pay costs, for shuttling members, "Just to buy groceries". While a voucher system was concidered, by the city, as a way to make cab rides more "accessable", the problem was that even the cab companies remembered how much trouble that vendors had with atleast the last seven, voucher, systems. While the government "promised" "prompt payment", locals had heard this, before, as well. In fact, atleast three service companies were required to terminate operations, after waiting for as long as five YEARS, for payments, which never came. After five years, with no payments, vendors stopped providing supplies. With the closing, of Shop and Save, North Grand Avenue, several, small, local, businesses, which relied on Shop and Save customers, for business which the grocery store did not carry, had to announce either that they were LEAVING the north end, or closing, completely. During this period, all that the city council would say was "Give it TIME. EVENTUALLY, the city will spring back, on its own." Business, however, was not "buying this", not any more than citizens were. This is why the city council had to issue ORDERS, that the media NOT cover any additional, store closings. This because, all along North Grand Avenue, more and more buildings were listed as "For sale or lease". The ONLY reasons, which kept McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, CVS, and two, fuel sattions, operating, was the fact that state workers, at the E.P.A. building needed these services. As more "Closed" signs went up, along North Grand Avenue, even local citizens "got the message". Soon, "For sale or Lease" signs began appearing all over the north side. It would be a defiant journalist, who would remind the city council "The people, of Springfield Illinois, have been hearing this line, of "Give it TIME, and the situation WILL correct itself. We just need MORE time." After the journalist would remind the public "We have been hearing this, for forty YEARS. HOW much LONGER will we have to wait?" The Springfield City Council made certain that the reporter was fired, within forty eight hours. The Springfield City Council, also, ordered that the bicycle-tracking program be retracted. This, after the city council learned that a PRIVATE citizen had the idea, and made it public, FIRST. It must be admitted that Mel-O-Creme Donuts, and Sams Italian Pizza "saw the light", and vacated the area, while business values remained high. Family Dollar, and Dollar tree, would be the next to go, since owners saw what was coming, and closed doors, while property retained its value. Subway, also, would, soon, close its doors, even as its neighbors began posting "Closing Dates". While the North End was dissolving, the city council defiantly focused on the properous, west, and south, sides. The city council was determined to say "If these neighborhoods can survive, there is NO reason why other neighborhoods will not survive, as well." The more store closings, which spread as far north as Sangamon Avenue, and south, to Carpenter Street, and private homes, for sale, the more the Springfield City Council INSISTED "There is NO problem. The city is fine, and strong.", the more voters began to wonder. In a move, which caused wide-spread LAUGHTER, among the general public, the city council actually began a "beautification program", on the north side. Not only were sidewalks repaired, and streets re-paved, but the city actually spent a reported, but not verified, $750,000, on planting TREE'S, along North Grand Avenue. That, and another $500,000, on decorative street lights. The one expense, which no one could verify, was the cost of the new, holiday, street decorations. The same kind used in the downtown. Some sources say that the city council bought out a bankrupt, party supply, store, while other stories said the decorations cost up to $5 million. What was known to be fact was that, even with these "projects" being furnished, even more homes went up, for sale, as more businesses closed. As families departed the area, class size, at Lanphier High School, would drop to the point where less that one-quarter of the building was in use. Since the high school was not built to modern standards, and the un-used sections could not be closed off, from heating and air conditioning, District 186 would make the decision. Since another section, more-or-less close by, was seeing LOSS, of enrollment, as more families moved out, the district would order all, remaining, Lanphier, students transferred to the other high school. Caritas Bingo Hall was no dummy, either. By the time Lanphier was closing down, Caritas was, actively, seeking, bids, for its property. While Northender Package Liquor would see a slight increase, in revenue, while people drowned their sorrows, in booze, once the "feeling" wore off, Northender would be the next business, to announce imminent closure. In another, desperate, attempt, to keep the north end alive, the city actually demolished abandoned businesses, and put in park spaces. The city council actually thought that a few tree's, and flowers, would bring people BACK to the north end. When only the homeless seemed interested, in the "parks", the city voted to turn the parks into parking lots. The campaign would be "Now, with more than ample parking, for business, and customers. Come to the north end." While no one knows exactly WHO it was, it seems that, as land values plummetted, the same thing happened, in Springfield, which happened, in Peoria, in the early 1980's. Someone came into town, began buying up land, and making it known that the north end would be "re-developed", as a "paradise", for the wealthy. Even Memorial Behavioral Health was told to re-locate its North End "trash". This would mean finding replacement housing, for over 100 people, all of whom needed LOW-priced housing. While the developer made their point clear, by demolishing any vacant properties, directly adjacent to occupied properties, the problem would be that, for one thing, there was no local property available. The second problem was that most landlords did not want people moving in, who had to have case-managers pay bills, for them. It was as the north side began a mass exodus, from the city, hoping to start new lives, elsewhere, that the Springfield City Council was faced with a problem, which had not been computed for. As the north end vacated, rumors began to spread, across town. Rumors, that the north end was just the "start". Soon, the city council found itself faced with rumors, that the whole CITY was being re-developed. While the city council "promised" that these were no more than rumors, even more "For Sale" signs went up, and families, and businesses, prepared to move. By the time Springfield Illinois was re-developed, into a paradise, for the super-wealthy, the developer found they had two problems on their hands. First of all, the local work-force had moved elsewhere. This meant no cheap, local, labor. Second, no matter how fancy the place was, it seems that the super-rich did not want to come to a working class town. Ofcourse, the developer was out only $500,000. The other $4 BILLION, was investor money. In the end, all that the Springfield City Council was left with was a quarter-finished resort, nearly 100 square miles, of abandoned land, and a few federal, state, and local, government, offices. Even the convenience stores had left town. Thanks to urban renewal, and the New World Order (among other forces), Sringfield Illinois would become the "City-that-once-was". Its population had moved on, and its "paradise" just a group, of empty, dark, buildings. Buildings, in a dead city. A dead city, where no one wanted to live, anymore. Yes, the New World Order was a total success!