Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Former Springfield alderwoman and current State Senator Doris Turner says she’s worried about the state of downtown Springfield.

“I have lived in Springfield my whole live, and I remember…when downtown was just a real hustle, bustle kind of place, all day every day,” said Turner, on the WTAX Morning Newswatch.  “Mondays and Fridays (businesses) were open until 8:30.  There were all kinds of shops.  Downtown was our family destination on Friday nights.  We’d go down there and shop and eat.  It really pains me to see we don’t have that now.”

Turner says, though, she’s heartened by the number of small businesses opening up in the recent past, calling them an “economic engine” with the community.

She’s been thinking, she says, about how to help downtown out, past the small businesses.  It’s something she says she’s talked with Downtown Springfield, Inc. about.

“There’s some conversations about a few places being renovated that possibly may include more workers to come back downtown.  That would be very beneficial,” said Turner.

But, Turner says, she has another idea.

“Right now, I think we really depend a lot on tourism to kind of fuel our downtown economics.  If we can get more residents of the city to be downtown and be very purposeful about being downtown, I think that will go a long way to help as well.”