Vecino Group plans groundbreaking this month for C-Street development

The Vecino Group LLC is slated to soon start construction on a multimillion-dollar mixed-use project on Commercial Street.

Patrick McWhirt, chief creative officer for the Springfield-based development company, said construction is expected to start next week on Sankofa, a $13.5 million development at 411 W. Commercial St. He said a groundbreaking ceremony likely would be held during the last week of the month, with an exact date yet to be set.

Vecino Group announced in a LinkedIn post this month that the company had closed on the property purchase. The four-story development is designed with 42 affordable apartments and a street-level business incubator and retail space.

"Sankofa offers the potential for catalytic growth in an area that hasn’t seen new development from the ground up in over 50 years," company officials said in the LinkedIn post, noting that the development name translates from the ancient Adinkra alphabet to "learning from the past ensures a strong future."

Sankofa 411 LLC, an entity tied to The Vecino Group, took over ownership of the Commercial Street property on Dec. 27, according to Greene County assessor and recorder filings. The seller is listed as Dan Johnson & Associates LLC.

April 2026 is the targeted completion date for Sankofa, said McWhirt. Vecino Construction LLC is serving as general contractor for the over 40,000-square-foot project designed by Vecino Design LLC, according to past reporting.

The property is currently an empty lot, near The Vecino Group's office at 305 W. Commercial St.

Springfield City Council last month voted for the city's Industrial Development Authority to issue $8 million in multifamily housing revenue bonds for the acquisition and construction of Sankofa by Sankofa 411 LLC, according to past reporting. Council considered a rezoning of the property in 2023.