If he had his druthers, Ward 3 Ald. Roy Williams Jr. would rather see something besides a proposed new recreational cannabis dispensary going into 1401 S. Dirksen Parkway, a currently abandoned property in his ward.
“But I don’t like empty buildings or empty houses,” Williams said.
So, albeit with some reluctance, Williams said he would vote to recommend zoning approval for a 4,582-square-foot adult dispensary to be operated by Spring Lucius Community LLC, a licensed cannabis retailer that would lease the property from RTD MC II, LLC. The building would be improved by new masonry and framing, with newly paved parking.
The building’s previous tenants have included restaurants such as Sambo’s and Daphne’s Family Restaurant, along with a title loan company, but it has been largely vacant in recent years. It sits in front of County Market and just down the street from one of two Springfield Godfather’s Pizza stores owned by local businessmen Mike Monseur and John Leskovisek.
Williams said he wouldn’t vote for approval if business owners near the proposed dispensary objected, and while Monseur echoed Williams’ overall sentiments, he is in favor.
“That building has been sitting vacant for a long time and had a lot of issues with — how do I put this nicely — with the homeless issue and stuff,” Monseur said. “I’m always pro-development. If they run a good business and keep their place looking good, I’m all for it.”
Springfield attorney Gordon Gates and his firm, Gates Wise Schlosser & Goebel, are representing the company at the Springfield Planning and Zoning Commission, which will hold a public meeting Feb. 18 on the issue. The Zoning Commission makes a nonbinding recommendation to the Springfield City Council, which then has the final say on zoning cases.
“(Spring Lucius) has done their homework on this,” Gates said. He told Illinois Times he doesn’t anticipate opposition to the project. “The businesses surrounding this are fired up about it.”
Gates said the company applying for the zoning is represented by Kimble Cannon, an attorney who, records show, has previous experience with cannabis operations.
Williams indicated that the still-unnamed dispensary would have some high-end features, such as a lounge area for customers. While he reaffirmed his support for the city’s latest dispensary, he said he won’t be so amenable to any others in his ward in the near future.
“This will be the last one that I would support on Dirksen Parkway; (this is) the third store near each other,” Williams said. “I do wish that the powers that be, i.e., the city, (Springfield Sangamon) Growth Alliance, all these people who are paid to develop more of Springfield. … it seems lately in my ward, along Dirksen Parkway, all I can attract is liquor, marijuana and gaming. And that’s kind of offensive to me.”
But Williams said he is encouraged, not just by the budding new dispensary, but by a Long John Silvers that “has decided to (relocate) across (from its current location at 2929 S. Dirksen Parkway), which kept it in my ward and kept it on Dirksen.”
“I’m so thrilled about that, because usually when businesses close down, we lose them to the west side or other parts of the city,” Williams said. “I wish it were other things going into (1401 S. Dirksen Parkway), but I’ll have to accept things as they are. Once (cannabis) became legalized in 2020, I follow the law.”
Monseur, who, along with Leskovisek has owned the Godfather’s just down the street for the last 22 years, said business development in that area and city overall has been hampered by too many restrictive state policies.
“With lawmakers talking about $27-an-hour minimum wage now and $19 is supposed to be in July, Illinois is just chasing everybody away,” Monseur said. “It’s surprising that anyone wants to invest in Illinois right now. We have seven stores (overall) here that have leases coming up, and we’re torn on if we’re going to stay. The stores do well, they’re moneymakers, but we’re torn with how hard it is to get help. Every time you wake up in the morning, they’re talking about a new fee, new tax, new something instead of, ‘How can we attract revenue?’
“So that’s why I’m liking this (dispensary) coming in, because it’s new revenue coming in and it’s a development on an eyesore that’s been there. That building has been a danger to the community there. I think it’ll bring the crime rate down there, because there will be legitimate activity going on,” Monseur said.
Recently, local businessman Justin Conder received zoning approval for a new craft grow cannabis business in the former Comcast building at 701 S. Dirksen Parkway.
“This would be our fourth (cannabis business) on Dirksen. They are legit businesses, but I think I’ve got my share now,” Williams said.
