The Citizens Club of Springfield held a public forum this morning downtown at the Hoogland Center for the Arts to discuss the Adams Street Fire. 

The four guest speakers were owner of The Wakery Elizabeth Wake, President of Moving Pillsbury Forward Chris Richmond, owner of two the buildings affected by the fire Chris Nickell, and owner of The Cats’ Pyjamas Cat Café Tom Raymond.

Each guest speaker discussed how the money raised by the community has assisted them and what plans they have moving forward. The first disbursements from the INB fund have been received and a second disbursement will be disbursed soon.

Plans to restore the damaged buildings have been made, but demolition can’t begin until a way to stabilize the two surrounding buildings can be put in place.

The Wakery is open and fully operational again, Moving Pillsbury Forward was able to recover 30 percent of the artifacts lost in the fire, Chris Nickell is working towards restoring the buildings, and Tom Raymond has found a new location for The Cats’ Pyjamas Cat Café.