Groundbreaking held for The Table restaurant at historic mill site

A crowd of close to 100 people were in attendance at a groundbreaking event yesterday that marked the ceremonial start of construction for a restaurant at a long-vacant flour mill site in north Springfield.

Sisters Sheri Perkins and Renee Textor, co-owners of the planned restaurant called The Table, led the proceedings at 610 N. Prospect Ave., near Chestnut Expressway and National Avenue. The project was introduced in 2022.

"This is bigger than we ever dreamed or imagined," Perkins said.

Grindstone Construction LLC is serving as general contractor for the roughly 4,200-square-foot restaurant designed by H Design Group LLC, according to past reporting. With a project cost exceeding $2 million, a late spring or early summer 2025 completion date is projected.

In addition to the construction and design team, Perkins thanked OakStar Bank for helping finance the project and the city of Springfield for its work in bringing the development to fruition. 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.

Matt Schaefer, senior planner in the city's Workforce and Economic Vitality Department, said at the event that The Table also received $85,000 from the municipality’s Micro-enterprise Loan Program/Business Incentive Loan Program, which offers a 5% fixed interest rate. Noting the funds come from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Schaefer said the loan would help the business owners create three full-time equivalent jobs.

"This project will have numerous benefits for the community," Schaefer said, pointing to increased property taxes at the site, where a 13-story mill and adjoining silo built in 1901 have been out of operation since the 1970s.

Mayor Ken McClure expanded on the need for new development at the site.

"This is exactly what needs to happen," he said. "It's important to make this successful."

The Table would be a casual-dining concept serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Coffee would be offered on the menu that is in development, according to past reporting. 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.