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Development at the Y-Block could be coming soon, Gov. JB Pritzker hinted at a Citizens Club of Springfield event Thursday night.

Plans have varied for the former home of the YWCA due north of the Governor's Mansion since its 2017 razing.

During a request for proposals that year, former Mayor Jim Langfelder picked a proposal by the North Mansion Y-Block Development Group, with $1 million of personal backing from former Gov. Bruce Rauner, to put a park and cafe on the site. Progress has, however, since stalled.

Now under a new governor and Mayor Misty Buscher, Pritzker said the state and the city of Springfield are still discussing how to use the space between Fourth and Fifth Streets on Capitol Avenue.

More:No new taxes being considered to pay for potential Bank of Springfield Center expansion

"I don't want to you know, give you some conclusion, because I would say it's not concluded yet," he said during a panel discussion moderated by retired State Journal-Register political writer and columnist Bernie Schoenburg. "But what's on the table now is much further along than it ever has been."

In recent summers, the 2.25 acre lot owned by the city has been used for varying events such as the Levitt AMP Springfield Music Series. A new development, Pritzker added during the discussion at the Hoogland Center for the Arts, should maintain openness to the public and be active year-round.

As far as timeline, the governor foresees whatever the final product is will be completed by the end of his second term in November 2026.

Of other local note, Pritzker maintains that state lawmakers will approve his proposal eliminating the grocery tax in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Officials from the city's Office of Budget and Management previously told The SJ-R that Springfield is estimated to lose about $3.8 million in revenue for the year if it moves forward.

Currently, a 1% tax is levied on most grocery purchases throughout Illinois — one of 13 states to institute such a tax. The governor, who has described the tax as a burden on consumers, argues his administration has boosted funding for local governments throughout his first five years in office.

"I know some of you will say 'Well, gosh, one penny on a dollar doesn't seem like a lot,' but then again, people come and say, 'Well, you know, every tax is, you know, is burdensome,'" Pritzker said. "I really believe in having a less regressive tax system. This is one tax I think we can eliminate."

Contact Patrick M. Keck: 312-549-9340, pkeck@gannett.com, twitter.com/@pkeckreporter.