Business in the 217: Springfield Business Journal Chat with Michelle Ownbey - 11/07/2023

Trent R. Nelson speaks with Michelle Ownbey, publisher of the Springfield Business Journal and Illinois Times, about the latest happenings in the Springfield business community and all of the relevant bits fit for the greater community to learn about.

Topics Discussed In This Interview:

• The Railyard, an outdoor food venue based around shipping containers, opened last Friday, two years after plans were announced to bring the unique concept to Springfield.

   

• European Wax Center is holding a soft opening tomorrow at 4423 Yucan Dr.

   

• Compass for Kids has relocated to new office space on South Fourth Street and hired Christy Freeman Stark as director of marketing, a full-time position shared with Kidzeum of Health and Science.

   

• Some recipients of business grants funded with a portion of Springfield’s share of sales taxes on adult-use cannabis are upset their businesses were mentioned in an independent audit critical of the new program. City officials are holding off on announcing a second round of grants to Black-owned businesses on the east side while considering changes to the program to create a more consistent system for disbursing and monitoring grant funds.

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