The location, at the northeast corner of Dirksen Parkway and Stevenson Drive, will be a standalone building. “The goal is to expand and support the Springfield community,” Starbucks’ central Illinois district manager Tim Higham said of the new location, “to add a better level of service.” The 2,500-square-foot store is located at exit 94 off Interstate 55, next to Steak ‘n Shake. The lot was formerly home to Pear Tree Inn and other hotels and had been vacant for more than a decade. The store at 3190 S. Dirksen Parkway will be the ubiquitous coffee chain’s sixth corporate-owned store in Springfield and the third to line the stretch of I-55 along Springfield’s eastern border, along with locations near intersections at Sangamon Ave. (2728 N. Dirksen Parkway) and Clear Lake Avenue (3200 Clear Lake Ave.). Corporate Starbucks also operates stores at 745 Adlai Stevenson Drive, 2003 W. Monroe and 3412 Freedom Drive.