Aug. 29—Tuscola Home Center has been sold to Graber Building Supply, effective Sept. 1.

Current Tuscola Home Center owners Jim and Kay Higgins are retiring — at age 78 and after 52 years in business, Jim Higgins said.

"It was time," he said. "We finally realized it was time."

Jim Higgins said he's agreed to remain on after the sale to help with the transition, "long enough to get everything squared away."

The owners of Graber, a full-service lumberyard and hardware store business with locations in Sullivan and Arcola, could not be reached.

Tuscola Home Center employees will remain on board after the sale, Higgins said, and his son, Brent, will manage the store.

The business — which has a 50,000-square-foot building — offers a complete lumberyard; major appliances; hardware; home-building and -improvement materials such as flooring and cabinetry; and sales, service and rentals of outdoor equipment.

Jim Higgins earned a degree in engineering and formerly worked in quality control at the former Firestone plant in Decatur before buying the former Western Auto store in Tuscola and expanding into lumber and hardware.

Jim Higgins said retirement plans for him and his wife include enjoying life, and maybe doing some travel.

Opening

For those who have been waiting for Sweet Basil Cafe to open in the former TGI Friday's in Champaign, opening day arrives Monday.

General Manager Jennifer Cooley said the entire building at 103 W. Marketview Drive has undergone a remodeling, including the kitchen and dining area, with new tables, chairs and decor.

There are enough employees hired to open, Cooley said, but hiring is continuing.

The Champaign location of Sweet Basil Cafe, which also has other locations in Skokie, Peoria, Glen Ellyn and Springfield, will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week.

The restaurant is known for its large portions, Cooley said, and omelets are popular for breakfast.

The menu includes 15 different kinds of omelets, along with 10 kinds of pancakes, crepes, four kinds of egg "scramblers," four kinds of French toast and four kinds of stuffed French toast.

Also on the menu are soups, appetizers, salads, horseshoes, wraps, paninis, burgers, 18 kinds of other sandwiches and dinner entrees including poultry, beef, pork, seafood, pasta and Greek-inspired dishes — plus desserts and a kids menu.

For sale

The Art Theater building at 126 W. Church St., C, is for sale for $1.1 million, complete with an auditorium, lobby and small commercial space (rented to a barber shop) on the first floor and four apartments or offices above, according to a recent Facebook post by owner Kraft Properties.

David Kraft said the theater has been for sale for two years, "of which coronavirus accounted for the majority of time."

It had been listed for sale, but nobody knows the building like he does, Kraft said, "so I feel like I am most qualified to market the property."

Inside are 200 remaining theater seats and some equipment and concession items, he said.

As a two-time Preservation and Conservation Association award winner, Kraft said he's always been more of a remodeler than a developer. But if the building remains vacant beyond three years, he'll need to consider other options — for instance, demolishing the building or just the auditorium, he said.

"Adjacent to the city parking garage, the building/lot should be desirable," he said.

Closed

Blaze Pizza at 2506 N. Prospect Ave., C has closed permanently, according to signs on the building.

Following is a response from the California-based chain to an inquiry about the North Prospect location:

"These locations are temporarily closed and the time frame for reopening is still TBD."