It's Your Business | Enjoy spring's arrival at garden centers

Mar. 20—If you can hardly wait to get back outside and garden, here are some opportunities to browse plants and flowers.

Danville Gardens will open its main location at 1307 Cleary Ave., Danville, on April 15, and its brand new north location at 3585 N. Vermilion St., Danville, on April 29.

Since closing its Champaign location on North Prospect Avenue, Danville Gardens has no plans to reopen a Champaign-Urbana location, according to co-owner Nathan Campbell.

It was hard to keep that Champaign shop staffed, he said, and it had also been subject to thefts.

He and his wife, Lisa, hoped Champaign-Urbana customers would make the trip to Danville, and many have, Campbell said.

A major draw for the Cleary Avenue location, which is right off Interstate 74, is its huge greenhouses, with 2.5 acres of plants under roof, he said.

There's also an approximately two-acre outdoor growing area.

Danville Gardens, in business since 1910, grows about 90 percent of what it sells. Nathan and Lisa Campbell became the owners in 1993.

Prairie Gardens, 3000 W. Springfield Ave., C will be holding its spring open house to showcase what's new in plants and decor on two Saturdays, March 25 and April 1.

According to the business' Facebook post, there will be plant experts on hand, food samples, activities for kids and a chance to win your favorite garden wish.

Coming to downtown Urbana

Plans to open a new art bar called Gallery in downtown Urbana are progressing, with a projected opening at the end of May, according to owner Jonah Weisskopf.

The new bar will be in the former space of Nola's Rock Bar at 119 W. Main St., U, and Weisskopf is both the building owner and will be the new bar's operator.

Gallery will include live music and an immersive art experience using video technology, along the lines of the Immersive Van Gogh exhibit that recently closed in Chicago.

"We use video projection to create all types of moving visual decor on the walls," he said. The goal for Gallery "is to integrate these types of visuals with music and dance," he said.

Weisskopf said he's working with Matt Harsh and Jake Metz, who are collaborating on bringing the new space to life with projection technology.

"It's really fun, really cool. It kind of transforms one's sense of space," he said.

Jersey Mike's update

Two new locations in Rantoul and Danville are set to open in the fall, according to Scott Miller, the franchise owner/operator.

The new Danville location will be at 3655 N. Vermilion St. between Starbucks and an OSF OnCall urgent care center.

Miller said he expects to get the Danville site from the builder to begin work on the Jersey Mike's space in mid-June and he hopes to have it open at the end of September or early October.

He hopes to open the new Rantoul location, to be in a new development at 801 W. Champaign Ave., in early to mid-September, he said.

That's reflecting about a two-week delay due to wind damage to the framing, he said.

Miller also has Jersey Mike's locations under various stages of development in Galesburg, Springfield and Forsyth, and is looking at a site in Quincy that he likely wouldn't begin building until next year, he said.

No name change planned

Now that the former County Market in Mattoon has been renamed Niemanns — after its owner Niemann Foods — we asked a spokesman at the corporate office in Quincy whether the names of County Market stores in the local area will also change.

The short answer: No name changes are planned for the company's stores in this area, according to Niemann Foods Director of Consumer Affairs Gerry Kettler.

Business loan fund launched

Small business loans of up to $50,000 are being made available in Champaign County through the new COVID-19 Recovery Champaign County Small Business Microloan Fund.

The loans are intended to help disadvantaged small businesses and entrepreneurs in Champaign County, according to the Champaign County Economic Development Corp.

There is a total $2 million available in loan funds. The goal is to hep about 100 new and existing eligible businesses, with a focus on those that don't qualify for traditional loans.

The fund was established with $250,000 of the American Rescue Plan Act funds allotted to Champaign County, with the non-profit Justine Petersen Housing and Reinvestment Corp. working with Busey Bank and PNC Bank to leverage the county funding.

"As part of our strategic plan, we've been working to develop more opportunities for area small businesses to access capital, said Carly McCrory-McKay, the economic development organization's executive director.

To learn more about applying for a loan, contact Tristan Brown, the Illinois operations manager for Justine Petersen, at TBrown@justinepetersen.org or call 217-494-0884.

There will be an open office hour for drop-ins from 2-3 p.m. March 30 at the organization's location at the Champaign County Economic Development Corp., 1817 S. Neil St., C.

Regular office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays or by appointment.