Year In Review 2017 Southwestern Illinois

By DENNIS GRUBAUGH    The new Regional Multimodal Transportation Center and substantial remodeling to nearby Alton Square have the city rolling into the new year on a high note.    The train station is now seeing full parking lots, Mayor Brant Walker said.    “It’s not what it will mean, it’s what it already is meaning. They expect…

    On Oct. 8, Illinois American Water was named the Corporate Business of the Year for Diversity and Inclusion by the East St. Louis Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People at a ceremony in St. Louis. This award is presented to companies who visibly exceed standards in the areas of…

By DENNIS GRUBAUGH    Mayor Mark Eckert says Belleville saw progress in virtually every corner of the community this past year, but one of the most significant developments was the $5 million overhaul of City Hall.    “One of our biggest accomplishments in 2017 was getting our government center totally renovated,” he said.    The work to City…

By RITA DUCKWORTH    It’s a rarity for any business to be around for 150 years, but one local institution reaches that milestone in 2018.     On Jan. 1, 1868, Edward M. West and his son-in-law, Civil War veteran Major William R. Prickett, opened the doors of a new bank in Edwardsville. Located at the site…

By DENNIS GRUBAUGH    More people know Columbia than ever before, thanks to a yearlong branding initiative that highlights the community’s residential and business offerings and quality of life.    “Columbia is a great place to live and work,” said Emily Fultz, community development director. She and Sue Spargo, community relations and tourism coordinator, have been working…

By ALAN J. ORTBALS    The city of Collinsville enjoyed a strong economy in 2017 with sales tax revenues up 10 percent over 2016 levels and the assessed valuation of the city’s real estate up 4.7 percent, according to City Manager Mitch Bair.    Among the major developments that occurred in 2017 was the opening of the…

    Edison’s Entertainment Complex continues to make its name as the St. Louis area’s home of “genius level fun.”    Located in Edwardsville, Edison’s features 12 lanes of boutique bowling, a two-level laser tag arena, a 65-game state-of-the-art arcade, 10 party and meeting spaces, and a full-service bar and restaurant serving inventive eats and drinks.    …

    EWR Architects of Fairview Heights celebrated substantial business growth in 2017. Annual gross receipts for the year increased more than 48 percent over 2016 and the firm’s backlog of work under contract stepping into the new year has grown by nearly the same amount.     Last year, EWR designed several significant projects including the…

    Being a part of the community fabric of Southwestern Illinois has been extra special for FGM Architects this year. Timothy E. Kwiatkowski, AIA principal and Southern Region manager, said the team was part of many building projects in their home towns.    In Edwardsville, FGM’s municipal team designed a new fire station that opened recently…

    The Edwardsville/Glen Carbon Chamber of Commerce had a productive and successful 2017, proudly serving businesses across the region and celebrating the many ways business leaders enhance our communities.    One highlight was receiving national recognition from the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) for the chamber’s inaugural SAVOR: Restaurant Week initiative. The ‘Award of…