University Heights neighborhood

City rules required a six-vote supermajority of council members to approve the rezoning ordinance. It's not clear what comes next.

Such a vote would be a milestone in a tension-filled saga that began at a profanity-laced meeting between commercial developers and many University Heights neighborhood residents back in August 2022.

After an unusual four months of deliberations, on Friday Judge Derek Ankrom entered an order in favor of Be Kind & Merciful LLC developers.

The Springfield court case brought by University Heights homeowners against commercial developers went to trial on Thursday.

The City of Springfield says Be Kind & Merciful LLC is now seeking a planned development status for its property in University Heights — requiring a specific site plan and stricter standards than commercial zoning.

After six hours of court argument and testimony from three witnesses taken two days after Christmas, it’s still not clear what will go up — if anything — on the northwest corner of Sunshine Street and National Avenue in Springfield’s historic University Heights neighborhood.

In December 2022, neighborhood residents filed a lawsuit to block developers’ plans for commercial buildings at the corner of National Avenue and Sunshine Street.

On Thursday night, seven of the nine Springfield Planning & Zoning Commissioners voted against a rezoning proposal that would allow for development at the corner of Sunshine Street and National Avenue.

Springfield City Council took up a divisive proposal to delay development along parts of Sunshine Street and National Avenue — before sending it to a four-member committee for more debate.

Residents of central Springfield’s University Heights neighborhood expressed their outrage Thursday at a neighborhood meeting called by local developers. Here's what riled them up.