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Mike Pittman doesn’t drink coffee, but he
thinks $4 is too much to pay for a cup o’ joe. A local real estate developer and newspaper
publisher, Pittman wouldn’t mind having on the near east side a small
coffee shop, with wireless Internet availability, and where people
don’t have to take out a payday loan to afford the beverages served
there. He moved a step closer this week when the City
Council, on the consent agenda, gave the OK for his company, Pittman
Enterprises Inc., to receive a $73,000 community-development block grant
for three properties near 12th Street and South Grand Avenue, next door to
the former location of the Walleye Stop. As part of the city’s Old South Town
rehabilitation plan, the money, some of which will be used to hire an
architect, would reimburse Pittman, who already bought the building. According to the consolidated plan for the city of
Springfield, South Town is an essential link between downtown and the east
side. Barriers to development, the report suggests, include
“signs of advanced dilapidation, obsolescence, deterioration,
structures below minimum code standards, excessive vacancies, [and]
deleterious land use” in the area. Even some local business owners have expressed doubts
about whether South Town can meet the city’s expectations. “It’s more than just a concept;
we’re definitely out there,” says Adele McFadden, deputy
director of the city’s office of planning and economic development. “You don’t let little things stop you,
like if somebody’s not parking on the parking lot,” she says,
referring to a recent State Journal-Register article that pointed out that few people are using a
new lot paid for by taxpayers. But now comes the hard part for Pittman —
enticing tenants to set up shop despite its location on the city’s
east side. “It’s going to be a tough sell because of
so many negative stereotypes,” he says of the neighborhood. He points out other businesses that have thrived on
South Grand for decades. But, administered by the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development, these block grants are designed revitalize
low-income neighborhoods, such as the one surrounding South Town.
Pittman, who’s often drawn the ire of some in
Springfield’s African-American community because of the
controversial stories featured in his monthly magazine, the Capital City Courier, will
begin hosting a radio show on Thursday mornings via the Internet next
month. He wants to rent to businesses that will
“uplift the community,” such as cafés, women’s
clothing store, and other retailers. Selling residential space is a little easier, he
says, but he’s up to the challenge. “People living there is one thing,” he
says, “but people counting money is another thing.”
Contact R.L. Nave@illinoistimes.com
This article appears in May 31 – Jun 6, 2007.
