Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – During Wednesday’s city budget workshop, Ald. Jeff Cox told Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau director Scott Dahl (pictured) his team went above and beyond after the Wyndham shut down last March.

“We had a little leak in a hotel across the street,” said Cox, “and you guys came through huge to make sure that we didn’t lose any conferences. You got people where they needed to be, you found hotel rooms – apparently at competitive prices, so you guys deserve a huge pat on the back for that.”

Vandalism to the hotel’s systems – including the sprinklers – left the building uninhabitable, and the 30-story tower has been vacant ever since.

“I’ve been in this industry over thirty years, and that was one of the most impressive professional things I’ve ever seen,” said Dahl. “The way that the Visit Springfield team, especially services, Paula Antonacci, came together and they saved all those conventions, all those planners, from moving out of town, relocated them, provided transportation, provided the services that they needed, and they are back for years to come.”

The 2026 highlight stands to be the centennial of Route 66. Ald. Erin Conley praised the reopening of Shea’s gas station on Peoria Road.