Construction to start this month on restaurant at historic mill site

Construction is soon slated to get underway at vacant property surrounding a 1901 flour mill where a restaurant is planned near Chestnut Expressway and National Avenue.

Sheri Perkins, co-owner of the restaurant called The Table with sister Renee Textor, said a groundbreaking ceremony would be held this month at 610 N. Prospect Ave. The sisters weren't ready to release the exact date for a planned groundbreaking ceremony at the site.

"We are just super excited to be a part of the business community in Springfield and also bring a different life to that corner there," Perkins said.

Grindstone Construction LLC has been hired to serve as general contractor for the roughly 4,200-square-foot restaurant designed by H Design Group LLC, said Perkins. The project cost is estimated to exceed $2 million, she said, pointing to a projected late spring or early summer 2025 completion date.

The Table would be a casual-dining concept serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Coffee would be offered on the menu that is in development, Perkins said, calling the venture "elevated casual dining." A retail space selling "unique gifts" would be available for customers, as well, she added.

The restaurant would be situated perpendicular to National Avenue and facing Chestnut Expressway, butting up against the larger of the two buildings on the site, said Perkins. A 13-story mill and adjoining silo at the site have been out of operation since the 1970s, according to past reporting.

Beyond the restaurant work, facade upgrades are planned at the two buildings, Perkins said, noting the sisters would like to develop them for use in the future.

Perkins said the mural on the silo building was recently removed. She provided a statement indicating that a thorough cleaning of the building "to prevent further deterioration" was required to make the property watertight.

Springfield City Council in May approved a redevelopment plan and declaration of blight at the property, providing 25 years of tax abatement, according to past reporting. The restaurant was introduced to council members as a two-story casual restaurant building with a covered patio and a small retail space, as well as green space on the site.

The project was introduced in 2022.