Broadgauge Closes, Owner Seeking Buyer For Historic Building & Hospitality Space

By Benjamin Cox on January 13, 2025 at 11:24am

Photo Courtesy of David Blanchette/Springfield Business Journal

The owner of a restored historic building in downtown Petersburg is answering questions on why the building closed.

Douglas Pope, the person responsible for the award-winning restoration of Broadgauge in Petersburg, told the Springfield Business Journal that he is hoping to find a new owner to reopen the restaurant and event venue and to get out of the hospitality industry.

A Jan. 2 post on the business’ Facebook page said that Broadgauge would close “indefinitely” following three public events already scheduled to take place later this month. Pope says the plan is to sell the business and the building to the right people. The State-Journal Register reports the listing price for the 14,000 square foot building will be approximately $2.9 million.

Pope, a Petersburg native, moved to the west coast to work in the technology industry but returned to his hometown during the pandemic while working remotely for the real estate firm Zillow. He decided to purchase and restore the Broadgauge building, constructed in 1872, and was honored with Landmarks Illinois’ Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for Adaptive Reuse in 2022, which opened that same year as a restaurant and event space. The restaurant closed in August, reopening at the end of October with a new menu but lunch service only.

Unused Gift Card balances can be used or refunded during the last two public events on January 17th and 25th. Reservations for both events are now sold out.

For more information, call 217-386-5669 or email douglas@broadgauge.com.