The News-Gazette, Champaign-Urbana, Ill., It’s Your Business column

Oct. 27--Royal Plaza, the strip shopping center on Healey Street between Neil and Randolph streets in Champaign, is getting a makeover.

Not only is the center getting a new facade, but also a new name and new tenant, according to Rich Park, a commercial broker for Coldwell Banker Commercial Devonshire Realty.

The new name hasn't been determined yet, and the new tenant _ an Asian grocery store _ hasn't been disclosed. But Park said the store is expected to take much of the space previously occupied by the Piccadilly Beverage Shop.

The 30,000-square-foot retail center, at 505 S. Neil St., includes Golden Harbor restaurant, Annapoorna Stores, The School Station, Revolt Tattoo Studio and K-N Karaoke.

Park said the renovation is expected to take four to six weeks, including the roof replacement and the addition of awnings.

Royal Plaza was developed in the early 1970s to fill what was once an Eisner grocery store. The eastern end, along Neil Street, has been home to several restaurants through the years, including The Ground Round, The Brown Jug, Pickles Food & Fun and Papa George.

––––

In addition to the County Market store it plans to open at Carriage Center in Champaign, Niemann Foods expects to open a Harvest Market convenience store just to the southeast along Devonshire Drive.

It will be the third Harvest Market for the Quincy-based company, which opened its first in Quincy about a month ago and plans to open its second in Decatur in a couple months. The Champaign location is expected to open next spring.

Harvest Market is different from most convenience stores in that it offers freshly prepared foods, such as soups, sandwiches, cheese cubes and grapes, said Gerry Kettler, the company's director of consumer affairs.

In addition to the usual snacks and groceries, the store will have soft-serve frozen yogurt with a variety of toppings.

The 4,700-square-foot store will have a seating area equipped with TVs and Wi-Fi, and its restrooms will be "probably the nicest public bathrooms you'll find," featuring touchless hand dryers, he said.

The soda machine will offer customers a choice in the shape of ice they get, as well as numerous flavor combinations for both Coke and Pepsi products.

Outside, the fuel pumps will have video screens imparting news and information. There will be four fuel lanes.

Kettler said Niemann Foods

The Harvest Market in Champaign will be adjacent to a Rainstorm Express Car Wash, just to the west on Devonshire Drive. Just to the east of Harvest Market _ at the corner of Neil Street and Devonshire Drive _ will be a Brixx Wood Fired Pizza restaurant.

As previously reported, the Carriage Center redevelopment will be anchored by County Market and Ace Hardware and by a Home 2 Suites by Hilton hotel on the north end. Wendy's will share space with an AT&T store on a lot just south of the main entrance off Neil Street.

Several other lots remain available for sale, and there is leasable retail space between County Market and Ace Hardware.

––––

Holder Wealth Management has opened an office at 3007 Village Office Place, C, with plans to move to a permanent location in south Champaign in a couple months.

The investment advisory firm provides financial planning services, including portfolio management, estate planning, retirement planning and tax planning.

The chief executive officer is Daniel E. Holder, an attorney, certified public accountant and certified financial planner who most recently was a principal partner with Ruedi Holder & Associates in Champaign.

Before that, he was a senior tax partner with Clifton Gunderson from 1981 to 2001 and executive vice president of Strategic Capital Trust Co. from 2001 to 2009.

Holder's son, Charles B. "Chas" Holder, is president of Holder Wealth Management. He, too, is an attorney and CPA.

Rounding out the team is Geovanny "Geo" Vega, who previously worked two years as a paralegal with the Phebus & Koester law firm. He will assist with the administration of client accounts.

The firm's phone number is 398-4015, and the website is holderwealthmgt.com.

––––

Richard Doney and Doug Ward have opened Danville Flooring Warehouse in Danville, selling carpet, vinyl flooring, hardwood flooring, commercial flooring and carpeting, ceramic tile and laminate flooring.

The business opened Aug. 25 at 807 N. Vermilion St. in a building that once housed Marie's Carpet Manor.

Doney said he worked at Mielke Bros. Bargain Barn for 31 years, but with Curt and Steve Mielke planning to retire, Doney decided he wanted to work for another decade or so.

Danville Flooring Warehouse offers installation, sales and service, with carpeting from Shaw and Mohawk as well as other distributors.

Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays.

The phone number is 274-7015.

––––

Memorable remnant

Mielke Bros. Bargain Barn in Danville is working to sell down inventory before the store closes this year, but one of its remnants shouldn't be hard to sell _ provided the buyer has enough room for it.

The unique remnant is a 30-by-30-foot square of artificial turf featuring the University of Illinois Chief Illiniwek logo.

The square was salvaged from the UI's Memorial Stadium in 1989 after the turf was set afire by vandals.

Curt Mielke said his business bought the damaged artificial turf from the UI and subsequently sold a section of it to an indoor soccer field in Indianapolis.

Another section was sold to an Indianapolis ice skating rink so the rink could be used for other purposes.

The Mielkes have stored the Chief remnant for 25 years. They've been in business 43 years, but now the brothers are 73 and 72 and ready to retire.

Their store is at 230 W. Main St., Danville.

––––

Construction is expected to begin this week on Villa West, the new assisted/independent living community planned for the northeast corner of Springfield Avenue and Staley Road in Champaign.

The new facility _ previously referred to as Applewood Villas in documents submitted to the city and now often referred to as simply "Villa" _ will include 52 beds in a 49,300-square-foot building at 4114 W. Springfield Ave. The cost of construction is estimated at $4.5 million.

The Hallbeck family, which is developing the facility, has been building homes in this area for 50 years.

Villa will offer large flat-screen televisions in every apartment, Wi-Fi, a putting green, shuffleboard, a culinary staff and licensed health care staff around the clock.

"We are very excited about creating this community," the Hallbecks said in a release. "We believe that just because you reach a certain age or your needs have changed, it doesn't mean your lifestyle needs to."

Dan Hallbeck of Hallbeck Development said it's hoped Villa will be ready to open in July or August of 2015.

Dee Giuliani, Villa's executive director, has more than 35 years of health care experience.

The community is expected to have 40 full-time and part-time employees.

––––

Paxton Record Editor Will Brumleve reports that Ben Grice has decided to call his planned restaurant at 102 S. Market St. in Paxton the Harvest Brewhouse.

Grice is renovating the building in hopes of opening a high-end restaurant and brewery there. The building was once the home of The 102 Lounge.

"We're going to have names for all of our beers, including 'The 102 Brew' and 'Blue Mustang Ale,' among others," Grice said.

Grice, who recently bought the former Tin Pan restaurant building at 125 S. Market St. in Paxton, plans to open The Humble Hog barbecue restaurant there in the next few weeks.

He also plans to operate Market Street Events, a catering service and venue, in the adjoining banquet hall at 121 S. Market St. in Paxton

–––

Two area businesses are honoring veterans by offering them free hotcakes and haircuts.

Bob Evans, at 1813 N. Neil St., C, will serve free all-you-can-eat hotcakes to veterans and active-duty military members who present a valid military ID on Nov. 11 _ Veterans Day. The offer applies to the original hotcakes breakfast, not to specialty hotcakes.

Eligible identification includes a U.S. Uniformed Services Identification Card (current or retired), a current Leave and Earnings Statement or a veterans' organization card, such as one for the American Legion or Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Guests wearing a military uniform that day also are eligible.

Meanwhile, Great Clips hair salons are offering free haircuts to veterans from Nov. 11 to Dec. 31.

Veterans who visit Great Clips on Nov. 11 _ and provide proof of service _ will receive either a free haircut that day or a free haircut card to redeem by Dec. 31.

Veterans who come in after Nov. 11 must have a free haircut card in order to get a free haircut.

Customers who come into Great Clips on Nov. 11 and purchase a service will receive a free haircut card to give to a veteran.

Great Clips has four shops in this area: 803 S. Lincoln Ave., U, next to Jimmy John's; in Urbana's Gateway Shoppes at 202 E. University Ave.; in Danville Crossing at 4111 N. Vermilion St.; and in Charleston Commons at 2194 Woodfall Drive.

Great Clips has more than 3,600 salons in the U.S. and Canada.

––––

Contact Don Dodson at 351-5227; by email at dodson@news-gazette.com; or by regular mail at The News-Gazette, c/o It's Your Business column, P.O. Box 677, Champaign, IL 61824-0677.

Heather Coit/The News-Gazette

Workers continue renovations on the roof of Royal Plaza in Champaign last week.

The burned turf at Memorial Stadium on Sept. 25, 1989. Vanda Bidwell photo

___

(c)2014 The News-Gazette (Champaign, Ill.)

Visit The News-Gazette (Champaign, Ill.) at www.news-gazette.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services